💾 Archived View for gemini.spam.works › mirrors › textfiles › phreak › PHREAKING › pkmanual5.phk captured on 2022-07-17 at 11:09:37.
View Raw
More Information
⬅️ Previous capture (2022-06-12)
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
In this situation it would be realistic to say that CO2 uses SF in-band
Page 132
The Official Phreaker's Manual
(2600Hz) signalling, while all the others use out-of-band signalling (3700Hz).
If you don't understand this, don't worry too much. I am pointing this out
merely for the sake of accuracy. The point is that while you are connected to
806-258-1234, all those trunks from YOUR central office (CO1) to the 806-258
central office (CO2) do *NOT* have 2600Hz on them, indicating to the Bell
equipment that a call is in progress and the trunks are in use.
Now let's say you're tired of talking to your friend in Amarillo
(806-258-1234) so you send a 2600Hz down the line. This tone travels down the
line to your friend's central office (CO2) where it is detected. However, that
CO thinks that the 2600Hz is originating from Bell equipment, indicating to it
that you've hung up, and thus the trunks are once again idle (with 2600Hz
present on them). But actually, you have not hung up, you have fooled the
equipment at your friend's CO into thinking you have. Thus,it disconnects him
and resets the equipment to prepare for the next call. All this happens very
quickly (300-800ms for step-by-step equipment and 150-400ms for other
equipment).
When you stop sending 2600Hz (after about a second), the equipment thinks
that another call is coming towards it (e.g. it thinks the far end has come
"off-hook" since the tone has stopped. It could be thought of as a toggle
switch: tone --> on hook, no tone -->off hook. Now that you've stopped sending
2600Hz, several things happen:
1) A trunk is seized.
2) A "wink" is sent to the CALLING end from the CALLED end indicating that the
CALLED end (trunk) is not ready to receive digits yet.
3) A register is found and attached to the CALLED end of the trunk within about
two seconds (max).
4) A start-dial signal is sent to the CALLING end from the CALLED end
indicating that the CALLED end is ready to receive digits.
Now, all of this is pretty much transparent to the blue boxer. All he really
hears when these four things happen is a <beep><kerchunk>. So, seizure of a
trunk would go something like this:
1> Send a 2600Hz
2> Terminate 2600Hz after 1-2 secs.
3> [beep][kerchunk]
Once this happens, you are connected to a tandem that is ready to obey your
every command. The next step is to send signalling information in order to
place your call. For this you must simulate the signalling used by operators
and automatic toll-dialing equipment for use on trunks. There are mainly two
systems, DP and MF. However, DP went out with the dinosaur , so I'll only
discuss MF signalling. MF (multi-frequency) signalling is the signalling used
by the majority of the inter- and intra-lata network. It is also used in
international dialing known as the CCITT no.5 system.
MF signalling consists of 7 frequencies, beginning with 700Hz and separated
by 200Hz. A different set of two of the 7 frequencies represent the digits 0
thru 9, plus an additional 5 special keys. The frequencies and uses are as
follows:
Frequencies (Hz) Domestic Int'l
Page 133
The Official Phreaker's Manual
--------------------------------------
700+900 1 1
700+1100 2 2
900+1100 3 3
700+1300 4 4
900+1300 5 5
1100+1300 6 6
700+1500 7 7
900+1500 8 8
1100+1500 9 9
1300+1500 0 0
700+1700 ST3p Code 11
900+1700 STp Code 12
1100+1700 KP KP1
1300+1700 ST2p KP2
1500+1700 ST ST
The timing of all the MF signals is a nominal 60ms, except for KP, which
should have a duration of 100ms. There should also be a 60ms silent period
between digits. This is very flexible, however, and most Bell equipment will
accept outrageous timings.
In addition to the standard uses listed above, MF pulsing also has expanded
usages known as "expanded inband signalling" that include such things as coin
collect, coin return, ringback, operator attached, and operator released. KP2,
code 11, and code 12 and the ST_ps (STart "primes") all have special uses which
will be mentioned only briefly here.
To complete a call using a blue box, once seizure of a trunk has been
accomplished by sending 2600Hz and pausing for the <beep><kerchunk>, one must
first send a KP. This readies the register for the digits that follow. For a
standard domestic call, the KP would be followed by either 7 digits (if the
call were in the same NPA as the seized trunk) or 10 digits (if the call were
not in the same NPA as the seized trunk). [Exactly like dialing a normal fone
call]. Following either the KP and 7 or 10 digits, a STart is sent to signify
that no more digits follow. Example of a complete call:
1> Dial 1-806-258-1234
2> wait for a call-progress indication (such as ring, busy, recording, etc.)
3> Send 2600Hz for about 1 second.
4> Wait for about 2 seconds while a trunk is seized.
5> Send KP+305+994+9966+ST
The call will then connect if every-thing was done properly. Note that if a
call to an 806 number were being placed in the same situation, the area code
would be omitted and only KP+ seven digits+ST would be sent.
Code 11 and code 12 are used in international calling to request certain
types of operators. KP2 is used in international calling to route a call other
than by way of the normal route, whether for economic or equipment reasons.
STp, ST2p, and ST3p (prime, two prime, and three prime) are used in TSPS
signalling to indicate calling type of call (such as coin-direct dialed).
This has been Part I of Better Homes and Blue Boxing. I hope you enjoyed and
learned from it. If you have any questions, comments, threats or insults,
please fell free to drop me a line. If you have noticed any errors in this text
(yes, it does happen), please let me know and perhaps a correction will be in
Page 134
The Official Phreaker's Manual
order. Part II will deal mainly with more advanced principles of blue boxing,
as well as routings and operators.
Note 1: other highly trunkable areas include: 816,305,813,609,205. I
personally have excellent luck boxing off of 609-953-0000. Try that if you have
any trouble.
Page 135
The Official Phreaker's Manual
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Better Homes and Blue Boxing
Part II
Practical Applications
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
(It is assumed that the reader has read and understood Part I of this series).
The essential purpose of blue boxing in the beginning was merely to receive
toll services free of charge. Though this can still be done, blue boxing has
essentially outlived its usefulness in this area. Modern day "extenders" and
long distance services provide a safer and easier way to make free fone calls.
However, you can do things with a blue box that just can't be done with
anything else. For ordinary toll-fraud, a blue box is impractical for the
following reasons:
1. Clumsy equipment required (blue box or equivalent)
2. Most boxed calls must be made through an extender. Not for safety reasons,
but for reasons I'll explain later.
3. Connections are often sacrificed because considerable distances must be
dialed to cross a seizable trunk, in addition to awkward routing.
As stated in reason #2, boxed calls are usually made through an extender.
This is for billing reasons. If you recall from Part i, 2600Hz is used as a
"supervisory" signal. That is, it signals the status of a trunk--"on-hook" or
"off-hook." When you seize a trunk (by briefly sending 2600Hz), your end (the
CALLING end) goes on hook for the duration of the 2600Hz and then goes off-hook
once again when the 2600Hz is terminated. The CALLED end recognizes that a
call is on the way and attaches a register, which interprets the digits which
are to be sent. Now, understand that even though your end has come off-hook (no
2600Hz present), the other end is still on-hook. You may wonder then, why, if
the other end (the CALLED end) is still on-hook, there is no 2600Hz coming the
other way on the trunk, when there should be. This is correct. 2600Hz *IS*
present on the trunk when you seize it and afterwards, but you cannot hear it
because of a Band Elimination Filter (BEF) at your central office.
Back to the problem. Remember that when you seize a trunk, 2600Hz is indeed
coming the other way on the trunk because the CALLED end is still on-hook, but
you don't actually hear it because of a filter. However, the Bell equipment
knows it's there (they can "hear" it). The presence of the 2600Hz is telling
the billing equipment that your call has not yet been completed (i.e., the
CALLED end is still on-hook). When finally you do connect with your boxed call,
the 2600Hz from the called end terminates. This tells the billing equipment
that someone picked up the fone at the CALLED end and you should begin to be
billed. So you do start to get billed, but for the call to the trunk, NOT the
boxed call. Your billing equipment thinks that you've connected with the number
you used to seize the trunk. Illustration:
1. You call 1+806-258-2222 (directly)
2. Status of trunks:
<----------------------------------->
(You) 806-258-2222
No 2600Hz-------> <------------2600Hz
When you seize a trunk (before the number you called answers) there is no
Page 136
The Official Phreaker's Manual
affect on your billing equipment. It simply thinks that you're still waiting
for the call to complete (the CALLED end is still on-hook; it is ringing, busy,
going to recorder or intercept operator.
Now, let's say that you've seized a trunk (806-258-2222) and for example,
KP+314+949+1705+ST. The call is routed from the tandem you seized to:
314-949-1705. Illustration:
<------------------>O<--------------->
(You) 806 314-949
tandem
No 2600Hz----------> <----------2600Hz
Note that the entire path towards the right (the CALLED end) has no 2600Hz
present and is therefore "off-hook." The entire path towards the left (the
CALLING end) does have 2600Hz present on it, indicating that the CALLED end has
not picked up (or come "off-hook"). When 314-949-1705 answers, "answer
supervision" is given and the 2600Hz towards the left (the CALLING end)
terminates. This tells your billing equipment, which thinks that you're still
waiting to be connected with 806-258-2222, that you've finally connected.
Billing then begins to 806-258-2222. Not exactly an auspicious beginning for an
aspiring young phone phreak.
To avoid this, several actions may be taken. As previously mentioned, one may
avoid being charged for the number called to seize a trunk by using an extender
(in which case the extender will get billed). In some areas, boxing may be
accomplished using an 800 number, generally in the format of 800-858-xxxx (many
Amarillo numbers) or 800-NN2-xxxx (special intra-state class in-WATS numbers).
However, boxing off of 800 numbers is impossible in many areas. In my area,
Denver, I am served by #1A ESS and it is impossible for me to box off of any
800 number.
Years ago, in the early days of blue boxing (before my time), phreaks often
used directory assistance to box off of because they were "free" long distance
calls. However, because of competitive long distance companies, directory
assistance surcharges are now $0.50 in many areas. It is additionally advised
that directory assistance numbers not be used to box from because of the
following:
Average DA calls last under 2 minutes. When you box a call, chances are that
it will last considerably longer. Thus, the Bell billing equipment will make a
note of calls to directory assistance that last a long time. A call to a
directory assistant lasting for 4 hours and 17 minutes may appear somewhat
suspicious.
Although the date, time, and length of a DA call do not appear on the bill,
it is recorded on AMA tape and will trip a trouble report if it were to last
too long. This is how most phreaks were discovered in the old days. Also,
sometimes too many calls lasting too long to one 800 number may raise a few
eyebrows at the local security office.
Assuming you can complete a blue box call, the following are listed routings
for various Bell internal operators. These are in the format of KP+NPA+
special routing+1X1+ST, which I will explain later. The 1X1 is the actual
operator routing, and NPA and NPA+ special routing are used for out-of-area
code calls and out-of-area code calls requiring special routing, respectively.
KP+101+ST ...... Toll test board.
Page 137
The Official Phreaker's Manual
KP+121+ST ...... Inward Operator.
KP+131+ST ...... Directory assistance.
KP+141+ST ...... was rate & route. Now only works in 312, 815, 717, and a few
others. It has been replaced with a universal rate & route number
800+141+1212.
KP+151+ST ...... Overseas completion operator (inbound). Works only in certain
NPAs, such as 303.
KP+181+ST ...... In some areas, toll station for small towns.
Thus, if you seize a trunk in 806 NPA and wanted an inward (in 806), then you
would dial KP+121+ST. If you wanted a 312 inward and were dialing on an 806
trunk, an area code would be required. Thus, you would dial KP+312+121+ST.
Finally, some places in the network require special routing, in addition to an
area code. An example is Franklin Park, Ill. It requires a special routing of
032. For this, you would dial KP+312+032+121+ST for a Franklin Park inward
operator.
Special routings are in the format of 0XX. They are used primarily for load
balance, so that traffic flow may be evenly distributed. About half of the
exchanges in the network require special routing. Note that special routings
are NEVER EVER EVER used to dial normal telephone numbers, only operators.
Operator functions:
TOLL TEST BOARD- Generally a cordboard position that assists in trunk testing.
They are not used by operators, only switchmen.
INWARD- Assists the normal TSPS (0+) operator in completing calls out of the
TSPS's area. Also, inwards perform emergency interrupts when the number to be
interrupted is out of the area code of the original (TSPS) operator. For
example, a 303 operator has a customer that needs an emergency interrupt on
215-647-6969. The 303 operator gets the routing for the inward that covers
215-647, since she cannot do the interrupt herself. The routing is found to be
only 215+ (no special routing required). So, the 303 operator keys
KP+215+121+ST. An inward answers and the 303 says to her, "Inward, this is
Denver. I need an emergency interrupt on 215-647-6969. My customer's name is
Mark Tabas." The inward will then do the interrupt (off the line, of course).
If the number to be interrupted had required special routing, such as, say,
312-456-1234 (spec routing 032), then the 303 operator would dial
KP+312+032+121+ST for the inward to do that interrupt.
DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE- These are the normal NPA+555+1212 operators that assist
customers with obtaining telefone directory listings. Not much toll-fraud
potential here, except maybe $0.50.
RATE AND ROUTE- These operators are reached by dialing KP+800+141+1212+ST.
They assist normal (TSPS) operators with rates and routings (thus the name).
The only uses I typically have for them are the following:
1. Routing-
Information- In the above example, when the 303 operator needed to dial
an inward that served 215-647, she needed to know if any special routing was
required and, if so, what it was. Assuming she would use rate and route, she
would dial them and say nicely, "Operator's route, please, for 215-647." Rate &
route would respond with "215 plus." This means that the operator would dial
KP+215+121+ST to reach the inward that serves 215-647. If there were special
routing required, such as in 312-456, rate & route would respond with "312 plus
032 plus." In that case, the operator would dial KP+312+032+ST for the inward
Page 138
The Official Phreaker's Manual
that serves 312-456.
It is good practice to ask for "operator's route" specifically, as there are
also "numbers route" and "directory routes." If you do not specifically ask for
operator's route, rate & route will generally assume that is what you want
anyway.
"Numbers" route refers to overseas calls. Example, you want to know how to
reach a number in Geneva, Switzerland (and you already have the number). You
would call routing and say "Numbers route, please, Geneva, Switzerland." The
operator would respond with: "Mark 41+22. 011+041+ST (plus) 041+22" The "Mark
41+22" has to do with billing, so disregard it. The 011+041 is access to the
overseas gateway (to be discussed in Part iii) and the 041+ 22+ is the routing
for Geneva from the overseas sender.
"Directory" routings are for directory assistance overseas. Example: you want a
DA in Rome, Italy. You would call rate & route and say, "Directory routing
please, for Rome, Italy." They would respond with "011+039+ST (plus) 039+1108
STart." As in the previous example, the 011+039 is access to the overseas
gateway. The 039+1108 is a directory assistant in Rome.
2. Nameplace information- Rate & Route will give you the location of an NPA+
exchange. Example: "Nameplace please, for 215-648." The operator would respond
with "Paoli, Pennsylvania." This isn't especially useful, since you can get the
same information (legally) by dialing 0, but using rate & route is often much
faster and it avoids having to hang up when you are already on a trunk.
- NOTE* On Rate & Route: As a blue boxer, always ask for "IOTC" routings.
(e.g., "IOTC operator's route", "IOTC numbers route", etc.) This tells them
that you want cordboard-type routings, not TSPS, because a blue boxer is
actually just a cordboard position (that Bell doesn't know about).
OVERSEAS COMPLETION
OPERATOR (inbound)- These operators (KP+151+ST) assist in the completion of
calls coming in to the United States from overseas. There are KP+151+ST
operators only in a few NPAs in the country (namely 303). To use one, you would
seize a trunk and dial KP+303+151+ST. Then you would tell the operator, for
example, "This is Bangladesh calling. I need U.S. number 215-561-0562 please."
[in a broken Indian accent]. She would connect you, and the bill would be sent
to Bangladesh (where I've been billing my KP+151+ST calls for two years).
Other internal Bell Operators.
KP+11501+ST ...... universal operator
KP+11511+ST ...... conference op
KP+11521+ST ...... mobile op
KP+11531+ST ...... marine op
KP+11541+ST ...... long distance terminal
KP+11551+ST ...... time & charges op
KP+11561+ST ...... hotel/motel op
KP+11571+ST ...... overseas (outbound) op
These 115X1 operators are identical in routing to the 1X1 operators listed
previously, with one exception. If special routing is required (0XX), then the
trailing 1 is left off.
Examples:
Page 139
The Official Phreaker's Manual
A 312 universal op ... KP+312+11501+ST
A Franklin Park (312-456) universal op (special routing 032 required)........
KP+312+032+1150+ST [The trailing 1 of 11501 is left off].
Purposes of 115X1 operators.
UNIVERSAL- Used for collect/callback calls to coin stations.
CONFERENCE- This is a cordboard conference operator who will set up a
conference for a customer on a manual operation basis.
MOBILE- Assists in completion of calls to mobile (IMTS) type telefones.
MARINE- Assists in completion of calls to ocean going vessels.
LONG DISTANCE TERMINAL- Now obsolete.Was used for completion of long distance
calls.
TIME & CHARGES- Will give exact costs of calls. Used to time calls and inform
customer of exactly how much it cost.
HOTEL/MOTEL- Handles calls to/from hotels and motels.
OVERSEAS
COMPLETION (outbound)- assists in completion of calls to overseas points. Only
works in some, if any NPAs, because overseas assistance has been centralized to
IOCC (covered in Part III).
Note that all KP+1X1+ST and KP+115X1+ST operators automatically assume that
you are a TSPS or cordboard operator assisting a customer with a call. DO NOT
DO ANYTHING TO JEOPARDIZE THIS! If you do not know what to do, don't call these
operators! Find out what to do first.
This concludes Part II. There is one final part in which I will explain
overseas dialing, IOCC (International Overseas Completion Centre), RQS
(Rate/Quote System), and some basic scanning.
Page 140
The Official Phreaker's Manual
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Better Homes and Blue Boxing
Part III
Advanced Signalling
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
(It is assumed that the reader has read and understood parts i & ii before
proceeding to this part).
In Parts I & II, I covered basic theory and domestic signalling and
operators. In this part I will explain overseas direct boxing, the IOCC, the
RQS, and some basic scanning methods.
Overseas Direct Boxing.
Calling outside of the United States and Canada is accomplished by using an
"overseas gateway." There are 7 over-seas gateways in the Bell System, and each
one is designated to serve a certain region of the world. To initiate an
overseas call, one must first access the gateway that the call is to be sent
on. To do this automatically, decide which country you are calling and find its
country code. Then, pad it to the left with zeros as required so it is three
digits. [Add 1, 2, or 3 zeros as required].
Examples:
Luxembourg (352) is 352 (stays the same)
Spain (34) becomes 034 (1 zero added)
U.S.S.R. (7) becomes 007 (2 zeros added)
Next, seize a trunk and dial KP+011+ CC+ST. Note that CC is the three digit
padded country code that you just determined by the above method. [For
Luxembourg, dial KP+011+352+ST, Spain KP+011+034+ST, and the U.S.S.R. KP+011+
007+ST]. This is done to route you to the appropriate overseas gateway that
handles the country you are dialing. Even though every gateway will allow you
to dial every dialable country, it is good practice to use the gateway that is
designated for the country you are calling.
After dialing KP+011+CC+ST (as CC is defined above) you should be connected
to an overseas gateway. It will acknowledge by sending a wink (which is audible
as a <beep><kerchink> and a dial tone. Once you receive international dial
tone, you may route your call one of two ways: a) as an operator-originated
call, or b) as a customer-originated call. To go as a operator-originated call,
key KP+ country code (NOT padded with zeros)+ city code+number+ST. You will
then be connected, providing the country you are calling can receive
direct-dialed calls. The U.S.S.R. is an example of a country that cannot.
Example of a boxed int'l call:
To make a call to the Pope (Rome, Italy), first obtain the country code, which
is 39. Pad it with zeros so that it is 039. Seize a trunk and dial
KP+011+039+ST. Wait for sender dial tone and then dial KP+39+6+6982+ST. 39 is
the country code, 6 is the city code, and 6982 is the Pope's number in Rome. To
go as an operator-originated call, simply place a zero in front of the country
code when dialing on the gateway. Thus, KP+0+39+6+6982+ST would be dialed at
sender dial tone. Routing your call as operator-originated does not affect much
unless you are dialing an operator in a foreign country
Page 141
The Official Phreaker's Manual
To dial an operator in a foreign country, you must first obtain the operator
routing from rate & route for that country. Dial rate & route and if you're
trying to get an operator in Yugoslavia, say nicely, "IOTC Operator's route,
please, for Yugoslavia." [In larger countries it may be necessary to specify a
city]. Rate & route will respond with, "38 plus 11029". So, dial your overseas
gateway, KP+011+038+ST, wait for sender dial tone, and key KP+0+38+11029+ST.
You should then get an operator in Yugoslavia. Note that you must prefix the
country code on the sender with a 0 because presumably only an operator here
can dial an operator in a foreign country.
When you dial KP+011+CC+ST for an overseas gateway, it is translated to a
3-digit sender code of the format 18X, depending on which sender is designated
to handle the country you are dialing. The overseas gateways and their 3-digit
codes are listed below.
182 ..... White Plains, NY
183 ..... New York, NY
184 ..... Pittsburg, PA
185 ..... Orlando, FL
186 ..... Oakland, CA
187 ..... Denver, CO
188 ..... New York, NY
Dialing KP+182+ST would get you the sender in White Plains, and KP+183+ST
would get the sender in NYC, etc., but the KP+011+CC+ST is highly suggested (as
previously mentioned). To find out what sender you were routed to after dialing
KP+011+CC+ST, dial (at int'l dial tone): KP+0000000+ST.
If you have difficulty in reaching a sender, call rate and route and ask for
a numbers route for the country you're dialing. Sometimes, KP+011+ padded
country code+ST will not work. I have found this in many 3-digit country
codes. Luxembourg, country code 352, for example, should be KP+011+352+ST
theoretically. But it is not. In this case, dial KP+011+ 003+ST for the
overseas gateway. If you have trouble, try dialing KP+00+ first digit of
country code+ST, or call rate The IOCC.
Sometimes when you call rate and route and ask for an "IOTC numbers route" or
"IOTC operators route" for a foreign country, you will get something like
"160+700" (as in the case of the Soviet Union). This means that the country is
not dialable directly and must be handled through the International Overseas
Completion Centre (IOCC). For an IOCC routing, pad the country code to the
RIGHT with zeros until it is 3 digits. Then KP+160 is dialed, plus the padded
country code, plus ST. Examples:
The U.S.S.R. (7) ...... KP+160+700+ST
Japan (81) ............ KP+160+810+ST
Uraguay (598) ......... KP+160+598+ST
You will then be routed to the IOCC in Pittsburg, PA, who will ask for
country, city, and number being dialed. Many times they will ask for a
ringback [thanks to Telenet Bob] so have a loop ready. They will then place the
call and call you back (or sometimes put you through directly). Some calls,
such as to Moscow, take several hours.
The Rate Quote System (RQS).
The RQS is the operator's rate/quote system. It is a computer used by TSPS
Page 142
The Official Phreaker's Manual
(0+) operators to get rate and route information without having to dial the
rate and route operator. In Part ii, I discussed getting an inward routing for
dialing-assistance and emergency interrupts from the rate and route operators
(KP+800+141+1212+ST). The same information is available from RQS. Say you want
the inward routing for 305-994. You would seize a trunk and dial KP+009+ST (to
access the RQS). Sometimes, if you seize a trunk in an NPA not equipped with
RQS, you need to dial an NPA that is equipped with RQS first, such as 303.
Anyway, after you dial KP+009+ST or KP+303+009+ST, you will receive a wink
(<beep><kerchink>) and then RQS dial tone. At RQS dial tone, for an inward
routing for 305-994 you would dial KP+06+305+994+ST. That is,
KP+06+NPA+exchange+ST. RQS will respond with "305 plus 033 plus". This means
you would dial KP+305+033+121+ST for an inward that services 305-994. If no
special routing were required, RQS would have responded with "305 plus" and you
would simply dial: KP+305+121+ST for an inward.
Another RQS feature is the echo feature. You can use it to test your blue
box. Dial RQS (KP+009+ST) and then key KP+07+1234567890+ST. RQS will respond
with voice identification of the digits it recognized, between the KP+07 and
ST.
RQS can also be used for rates and directory routings, but those are seldom
needed, so they have been omitted here.
Simple Scanning.
If you're interested in scanning, try dialing on a trunk, routings in the
format of KP+11XX1+ST. Begin with 11001 and scan to 11991. There are lots of
interesting things to be found there, as Doctor Who (413 area) can tell you.
Those 11XX1 routings can also be prefixed with an NPA, so if you want to scan
area code 212, dial KP+212+ 11XX1+ST.
There, now you know as much about blue boxing as most phreaks. If you read
and understand the material, and put aside preconceived ideas of what blue
boxing is that you may have acquired from inexperienced people or other
bulletin boards, you should be well on you way to an enlightening career in
blue boxing. If you follow the guidelines in Part I to box, you should have no
problem with the fone company. Comments made by "phreaks" on bulletin boards
that proclaim "tracing" of blue boxers are nonsense and should be ignored
(except for a passing chuckle).
NOTE 1: CCIS and the downfall of blue boxing.
CCIS stands for Common Channel Inter-office Signalling. It is a signalling
method used between electronic switching systems that eminiates the use of
2600Hz and 3700Hz supervisory signals, and MF pulsing. This is why many places
cannot be boxed off of; they employ CCIS, or out-of-band signalling, which will
not respond to any tones that you generate on the line. Eventually, all
existing toll equipment will be upgraded or replaced with CCIS or T-carrier. In
this case, we'll all be boxing with microwave dishes. Until then (about 1995 by
current BOC/AT&T estimates), have fun!
If you have ANY questions about this text, please feel free to drop me a line.
I will respond to all mail, messages, etc. Insults are also welcomed. And if
you discover anything interesting scanning, be sure to let me know.
Mark Tabas
$LOD$
Page 143
The Official Phreaker's Manual
This text was prepared in full by Mark Tabas for:
K.A.O.S.
Philadelphia, PA.
[215-465-3593].
Any sysop may freely download this text and use it on his/her BBS, provided
that none of it be altered in any way.
Technical acknowledgements:
Karl Marx, X-Man, High-Rise Joe, Telenet Bob, Lex Luthor, TUC, John Doe, Doctor
Who (413 area), The Tone Sweep, Mr. Silicon, K00L KAT, The Glump.
References:
1. Notes on the BOC Intra-LATA Networks Bell System publication, 1983.
2. Notes on the Network Bell System publication, 1983.
3. Engineering and Operations in the Bell System Bell System publication,
1983.
4. Notes on Distance Dialing Bell System publication, 1968.
5. Early Medieval Architecture.
.......................................
(c) February 6, 1900 Mark Tabas
.......................................
Page 144
The Official Phreaker's Manual
BY FRED STEINBECK (TAP #88)
IT SEEMS THAT FEWER AND FEWER PEOPLE HAVE BLUE BOXES THESE DAYS, AND
THAT IS REALLY TOO BAD. BLUE BOXES, WHILE NOT ALL THAT GREAT FOR MAKING FREE
CALLS (SINCE THE TPC CAN TELL WHEN THE CALL WAS MADE, AS WELL AS WHERE IT WAS
TOO AND FROM), ARE REALLY A LOT OF FUN TO PLAY WITH. SHORT OF BECOMING A REAL
LIVE TSPS OPERATOR, THEY ARE ABOUT THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN REALLY PLAY WITH THE
NETWORK.
FOR THE FEW OF YOU WITH BLUE BOXES, HERE ARE SOME PHRASES WHICH MAY
MAKE LIFE EASIER WHEN DEALING WITH THE RATE & ROUTE (R&R) OPERATORS. TO GET
THE R&R OP, YOU SEND A KP + 141 + ST. IN SOME AREAS YOU MAY NEED TO PUT
ANOTHER NPA BEFORE THE 141 (I.E., KP + 213 + 141 + ST), IF YOU HAVE NO LOCAL
R&R OPS.
THE R&R OPERATOR HAS A MYRIAD OF INFORMATION, AND ALL IT TAKES TO GET
THIS DATA IS MUMBLING CRYPTIC PHRASES. THERE ARE BASICALLY FOUR SPECIAL
PHRASES TO GIVE THE R&R OPS. THEY ARE NUMBERS ROUTE, DIRECTORY ROUTE, OPERATOR
ROUTE, AND PLACE NAME.
YOU GET AN R&R AN AREA CODE FOR A CITY, ONE CAN CALL THE R&R OPERATOR
AND ASK FOR THE NUMBERS ROUTE. FOR EXAMPLE, TO FIND THE AREA CODE FOR CARSON
CITY, NEVADA, WE'D ASK THE R&R OP FOR "CARSON CITY, NEVADA, NUMBERS ROUTE,
PLEASE." AND GET THE ANSWER, "RIGHT... 702 PLUS." MEANING THAT 702 PLUS 7
DIGITS GETS US THERE.
SOMETIMES DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE ISN'T JUST NPA + 131. THE WAY TO GET
THESE ROUTINGS IS TO CALL R&R AND ASK FOR "ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA, DIRECTORY
ROUTE, PLEASE." OF COURSE, SHE'D TELL US IT WAS 714 PLUS, WHICH MEANS 714 + 131
GETS US THE D.A. OP THERE. THIS IS SORT OF POINTLESS EXAMPLE, BUT I COULDN'T
COME UP WITH A BETTER ONE ON SHORT NOTICE.
LET'S SAY YOU WANTED TO FIND OUT HOW TO GET TO THE INWARD OPERATOR FOR
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA. THE FIRST SIX DIGITS OF A NUMBER IN THAT CITY WILL BE
REQUIRED (THE NPA AND AN NXX). FOR EXAMPLE, LET US USEM 916 756. WE WOULD CALL
R&R, AND WHEN THE OPERATOR ANSWERED, SAY, "916 756, OPERATOR ROUTE, PLEASE."
THE OPERATOR WOULD SAY, "916 PLUS 001 PLUS." THIS MEANS THAT 916 + 001 + 121
WILL GET YOU THE INWARD OPERATOR FOR SACRAMENTO.
DO YOU KNOW THE CITY WHICH CORRESPONDS TO 503-640? THE R&R OPERATOR
DOES, AND WILL TELL YOU THAT IT IS HILLSBORO, OREGON, IF YOU SWEETLY ASK FOR
"PLACE NAME, 503 640, PLEASE."
FOR EXAMPLE, LET'S SAY YOU NEED THE DIRECTORY ROUTE FOR SVEG, SWEDEN.
SIMPLY CALL R&R, AND ASK FOR, "INTERNATIONAL, BADEN, SWITZERLAND. TSPS
DIRECTORY ROUTE, PLEASE." IN RESPONSE TO THIS, YOU'D GET, "RIGHT... DIRECTORY
TO SVEG, SWEDEN. COUNTRY CODE 46 PLUS 1170." SO YOU'D ROUTE YOURSELF TO AN
INTERNATIONAL SENDER, AND SEND 46 + 1170 TO GET THE D.A. OPERATOR IN SWEDEN.
INWARD OPERATOR ROUTINGS TO VARIOUS COUNTRIES ARE OBTAINED THE SAME WAY
"INTERNATIONAL, LONDON, ENGLAND, TSPS INWARD ROUTE, PLEASE." AND GET "COUNTRY
CODE 44 PLUS 121." THEREFORE, 44 PLUS 121 GETS YOU INWARD FOR LONDON.
INWARDS CAN GET YOU LANGUAGE ASSISTANCE IF YOU DON'T SPEAK THE
LANGUAGE. TELL THE FOREIGN INWARD, "UNITED STATES CALLING. LANGUAGE ASSISTANCE
IN COMPLETING A CALL TO (CALLED PARTY) AT (CALLED NUMBER)."
R&R OPERATORS ARE PEOPLE ARE PEOPLE TOO, Y'KNOW. SO ALWAYS BE POLITE,
MAKE SURE USE OF 'EM, AND DIAL WITH CARE.
NOTE: AS A RESULT OF THE BREAK-UP, R&R IS NOW KP+800+141+1212+ST
Page 145
The Official Phreaker's Manual
Verification
By Fred Steinbeck
From TAP issue # 88 10-83
There has been a great deal of controversy in the realm of phreakdom over a
mysterious subject known under a number of different names, including
"Verification", "Autoverification", "Verify", "Autoverify", "Verify Busy", and
even "VFY BY". All of these names basically mean the same thing: the ability
to listen to another person's telephone line from any telephone in the
direct-dialable world.
Needless to say, Bell System is very tight lipped about knowledge regarding
verification. Indeed, the infamous book 'Notes on long distance dialing' ('68
edition) says, "Care must be taken to insure that the customer never gains
verification capabilities." With a printed policy like that, you can imagine
what their real-world policy is like! Even their own rate and route operators
will not give verification on routing codes (at least in my experience), one
even responding, "What?! You must be crazy! We don't give those out!" Before
you get too far into this article, I will state simply: I don't know how to
verify. However, I have been fooling with various things related to it, and
collecting information on it for some time now. Therefore, while I can't do it
(yet), I may be able to point some other bright TAPer on the right track, and
perhaps he or she will show us all how. If you have knowledge not covered in
this article, but don't want to write an article on your own, please send your
ideas, comments, or information to Project Verify, C/O TAP Verify has also
been called "Autoverify", and I have no idea why. This is not, to my
knowledge, a Bell System term (at least I've never seen it in any manuals) As
far as I know, there is verify, which means being able to listen to speech
(kind of; see below) on a line, and there is the "Emergency Interrupt which
allows you to take part in the conversation taking place on the line in
question. It has been suggested that "Autoverify" is the same as an emergency
interrupt , but I tend to disagree with this idea. It should be noted that the
verification circuitry does not actually let an operator listen to a
conversation without making a beep on the line every so often. Instead, she
will hear encrypted speech. However, I believe with the proper methods, verify
can be converted to an emergency interrupt.
Verification is normally done either by your normal "0" (TSPS) operator, if
the call is in your home NPA (HNPA), or by an inward operator (IO). If the
call is outside your HNPA, your normal operator will call the IO for the
NPA,and say, "Verify Busy" or "Emergency Interrupt" please, 555 1212." The IO
will perform whatever magic he or she must, and then report back. If the call
is in your HNPA, though, the "0" operator can do the verification herself by
using the "VFY BY" key on her keyshelf. However, in some areas, the operator
uses a routing code to accomplish verification, and this the is loop hole we
shall attack.
It follows that if a IO or "0" operator can do it, so can we, with a blue box
Now, courtesy of Robert Allen (who brought it to my attention) and Susan
Thunder (who apparently discovered it), here is what used to work for getting
operators to hook you into conversations with other people (i.e.,let you listen
to them till you hung up): You'd call the operator and say "Operator, TSPS
Maintenance Engineer Calling. Ring forward to 001 + NPA + 7d, ring back to my
number, hit ring forward, no AMA, and then position release.
This creates some problems, and you must be familiar with the TSPS
console(by dialing "0"), you are on the "back", or incoming part of a loop.
When she places a call for you, the call goes out on the "forward", or outgoing
part of the loop. If an operator wants to make a call, she punches KP FWD
(keypulse forward), the number, and ST. Ring FWD puts a 90 volt ringing signal
across the forward part of the line (and may dial the number as well). The
Page 146
The Official Phreaker's Manual
problem arises from the fact that I don't know if Ring FWD will actually dial a
call, and if there is some other subtle difference between it an KP FWD.
Let us assume ringing forward makes a call from the TSPS console to whatever
number is given. Ring back causes your phone to ring (it is assumed you hung
up after giving her your instructions; if you didn't you'd hear an annoying 90
volts across the earpiece...) "No AMA" means "no automatic message accounting",
so nobody gets billed for the call, although it will show up on a tape
somewhere. "Position Release" removes the operator from the circuit, and
allows her to receive other calls. This leaves an unaccounted-for ring
forward.
The verification circuit, as you know, likes to encrypt conversation, which
is something we don't want. Well, the second Ring FWD sends another 90 volts
crashing against the verify circuitry, which Juda Gerad thinks removes the
voice encryption from the line, puts the operator (and you) in circuit, and
puts a beep tone on the line every five seconds. This seems to make sense, and
I am inclined to agree with him.
The bit about "....001 + NPA + 7D" causes the thought "MF routing code" to
spring immediately to mind. Now, the above trick was supposed to work in the
213 NPA. I have tried both "KP+001+213+7D+ST", and some other area codes. I
generally get nothing, a reorder signal, or a tandem recording.
Here's some food for thought: On an official Telco sheet I have, labeled "
213 NPA MF Routing Codes", 001 is listed as "VFY BY", or verify busy for the
213 NPA. 002 is listed for the 805 NPA. Ma Bell likes to have standardized
routing codes, such logical, then, that 001 would be a sort of "standard"
verify code, and other prefixes would be tacked on at 002,003, etc. However, I
have heard from a retired operator that verification codes are different from
area to area, and are not always nice numbers like 001, 002. Ah, well, a guy
can hope, can't he?
Some suggestions for future attacks on this dilemma: Everyone call your
operators and subtly ask questions. I have found the tend to give information
out easier if you ask for something that you would ordinarily have to be a
company employee to know about, such as rate steps, operator routings, etc.
Casually let slip that you used to be (or still are) an operator, or that
you work for company security. Also, you might want to blue box some codes
like 001 followed by your NPA and the last 7D of a busy number. If you get a
sort of "whispery noise", try blasting the line with a ringing signal (you
might piggyback another line onto yours and call the piggyback to generate the
90 volts) and see if that does anything.
Page 147
The Official Phreaker's Manual
===================================
EQUAL ACCESS AND THE AMERICAN DREAM
===================================
by
Mark Tabas
P.O. Box 620401
Littleton, CO 80162
July 7, 1985
The American Dream means many things to many people. To the small, typical
businessman, it means building a good, strong business based on hard work and
perseverance; indeed, with nothing limiting his potential but he amount of work
he is willing to put into his business. To a large businessman, the American
Dream means living and working in a country where a single corporation can have
a profit exceeding the gross national product of an entire third world nation.
To the individual, the American Dream is the right to choose -- everything
from one's breakfast cereal to a long-distance service, as well as the formal
right outlined by our founding fathers: those of life, liberty, and the pursuit
of happiness.
To the phone phreak, I think the American Dream is, in a sort of twisted way,
the uninhibited pursuit of knowledge. This quest could scarcely remain
unchecked in many other countries. Analogous to this quest is the thriving of
the Bell System, which until January 1, 1984 consisted of the American
Telephone and Telegraph Company, the largest corporation in the history of the
world. Did the American Dream die on January first or did the divestiture of
AT&T cause a giant step forward for competition and free enterprise in the
United States? I do not know. I do know that the other nations of the world
were amazed that the United States would dissolve the entity that brought the
finest and most universal telephone system in the world, and did so at a time
when the majority of the rest of the world was still using two dixie cups and a
string.
The unfairness of the situation is that AT&T built the telephone system of
this nation and is now being bound and gagged and having its possessions
distributed to others, whom AT&T also wrought. All in the name of fairness,
free competition, and "equal access". Where was was MCI during the century
that AT&T built he communications system of this nation? Well, I believe in
Equal Access, Wholly. And, since I believe in equal access and its
implications for equality for all so strongly, I feel that MCI, Sprint, and
others should take the same amount of time to build their respective toll
networks: 100 years. Therefore, if the United States Justice Department were
truly the fair and just administrator that it portrays itself to be, MCI would
not have a hand in the long-distance cache until about 2080. That's only
fair.
There is no doubt that MCI is a sub-standard organization. They consist of
incompetent employees, inferior equipment, and an inferior marketing strategy.
They are mockingly imitative of AT&T, except in the quality of their service,
which is practically unusable. It is also interesting that with less than 2%
market share, MCI calls itself "the nation's long-distance company." The point
to this diatribe is this. It's time for these long-distance companies such as
MCI and Sprint to grow up. With Equal Access, they are going to become real
long-distance companies, not the joke organizations they are now, and I think
it may just take them one hundred years to do so.
Page 148
The Official Phreaker's Manual
============
Equal Access
============
Equal Access, as it applies to the telecommunications industry, is "the
requirement that each Bell Operating Company provide exchange access to all
long-distance carriers that is equal in type and quality to that provided AT&T
communications." This is the official provision set forth by the United States
Justice Department in the Modification of the Final Judgment, August 24, 1982.
All this means is that each long-distance-distance company will have "equal
access" to all of the same types of services that AT&T currently enjoys. There
are four types of long-distance carrier services, divided into "feature
groups." They follow.
FG A: "line side access." This is the standard 7-digit dialup+code (for
billing purposes) +destination telephone number. It is currently in use by
most long-distance carriers.
FG B: "trunk side access." These are the 950 exchange numbers. They also
utilize an authorization code for billing. As with FG A, automatic number
identification (ANI) (i.e. calling number) is not provided to the carrier, but
will be in the future.
FG C: "1+ dialing." Currently, only AT&T is able to get this type of
service. It is 1/0+7 of 10 digit direct long distance dialing. ANI (for
billing) is provided.
FG D: "equal access." This will allow for 1/0+7 or 10 digit direct
long-distance dialing (presubscription carrier) and 10xxx+1/0+7 or 10 digit
long-distance dialing (alternate carrier). ANI for billing is provided at the
long-distance carrier's option. Billing may also be handled by the individual
long distance company or the local Bell Operating Company.
Feature groups C and D are mutually exclusive (i.e. both cannot exist in a
particular area at the same time). Areas which have Feature Group C (AT&T
long-distance only) are non-Equal Access, and areas which have Feature Group D
(multiple long distance carriers) are Equal Access regions.
Feature Group B, the 950 exchange numbers will be used in areas in which it
is not feasible to provide with Equal Access, such as step-by-step offices
(yes, they CAN have 950 numbers), some crossbar offices, and some independent
telcos, which are not bound by the provisions of Equal Access and may provide
to their customers any type of long-distance service(s) they wish. The 950
exchange is now active in many areas. It is mainly used as a universal
"roaming" access port for many long-distance carriers, but when an office is
converted to Equal Access, the 950 capability is removed. Thus, in an Equal
Access region, one cannot complete a call to a 950 telephone number.
I personally am looking very forward to Equal Access. My area is not
scheduled for full implementation of it until late 1985 or early 1986, and by
this time many of the alternate long distance carriers' networks will be in
place (or well under way). Think about what Equal Access means. Equality for
all long distance carriers. Access to common facilities, such as: busy-line
verification lines, Bell System information, signalling specifications. etc.
After full implementation of Equal Access, one will be able to take advantage
of and manipulate the services of more than just one carrier. It will no
longer be phreaks vs. AT&T.
When your area is ready to initiate Equal Access, you will receive a notice
in the mail informing you of some of the details of Equal Access, and will ask
Page 149
The Official Phreaker's Manual
you to specify your choice of "primary carrier." In some cases you will need to
specify both inter-LATA carrier (IC), which handles calls out of your LATA
(Local Access and Transport Area), and an international carrier (INC), which
will handle calls destined for other countries. Recent market studies have
shown that between 80 and 90 per cent of residential customers will continue to
be served by AT&T for their long-distance service after Equal Access. So much
for competition.
You will probably be faced with many long-distance companies to choose from,
including but not limited to: AT&T, MCI, Sprint, ITT, Western Union, Dial U.S.,
Call America, TMC, and U.S. Telephone. Whichever you choose will become your
"primary carrier." Your primary carrier will handle your call each time you
pick up you fone and dial 1+7 or 10 digits or 0+7 or 10 digits, inter-LATA
only. That is, if you dial a toll call that is within your LATA, it will be
handled by your local telephone company (Bell), not by your primary carrier,
even though it is a toll call. Let's use an example. The state of Colorado
consists of two LATAs. For this example, I will use three cities in Colorado:
Denver (in LATA1), Sterling (LATA1 also), and Colorado Springs (in LATA2).
Note here that even though Denver ad Sterling are in the same LATA, and Denver
and Colorado Springs are not, Sterling is actually much farther away from
Denver than Colorado Springs. This is because LATA boundaries were designed
giving consideration to high toll-traffic regions, to bring in revenue. Toll
traffic between Denver and Colorado Springs is very high, so the two cities
were placed in separate LATAs (or, more correctly, they were separated by a
LATA boundary). Toll traffic between Denver and Sterling is very low, of the
two cities were allowed to remain in the same LATA. Now, if everyone in
Colorado Springs were to pack up and move to Sterling (though who knows what
the hell for), the LATA boundaries in Colorado would be changed so that Denver
and Sterling were in different LATAs. The primary factor in determining LATAs
is money.
If I made a call to Sterling from my home in Denver, the call would be routed
entirely via Mountain Bell long-distance facilities. No long distance carrier
would be involved because Denver and Sterling are in LATA1. If I made a call
to Kelley, the blonde babe in Colorado Springs, the call would be handled by a
long distance carrier (in this case, AT&T) because Denver is in LATA1 and
Colorado Springs is in LATA2. Here is a table to simplify this:
Customer dials LATA Carrier
-----------------------------------------------------------------
7 digits same Bell
1+7 digits same Bell
1+7 digits diff LD carrier (currently AT&T)
1+10 digits diff LD carrier (currently AT&T)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Note several things here. First, not all areas need to dial a 1 when dialing
any number, local or long distance, but the central offices will still discern
whether the call is in the same LATA as the customer or a different one and
handle the call appropriately. Secondly, some step-by-step offices require a
1+NPA to be dialed for calls within the same LATA and, in fact, all numbers
outside of the office itself. But, for the most part, the above table is
standard for common switching networks.
==================
Alternate Carriers
==================
Your normal long distance carrier will handle all your toll calls which cross
over LATA boundaries when you dial directly, 1+. If you wish to place your
Page 150
The Official Phreaker's Manual
call via another carrier's network, whether for cost, quality, or circuit
availability reasons, you may do so in Equal Access regions. To access an
alternate long distance carrier after Equal Access, a customer dials
10xxx+1/0+7 or 10 digit telefone number. Note that xxx is the "carrier access
code (CAC)." A few CACs currently in use are listed below.
220 ........ Western Union 666 ........ Lexitel
222 ........ MCI 777 ........ Sprint
333 ........ US Telefone 888 ........ SBS
444 ........ Allnet
Thus, in an Equal Access region, to dial Fred in Orlando, a customer would
dial 1+305+994+9966 to place his call on his primary carrier, or to place it on
another network, he could dial: 10222+1+305+994+9966, and the call would go
over MCI facilities (in this case). Eventually, after many more long distance
services get into the act, there will be a directory of the various long
distance companies and their CACs, and deciding which carrier to use for any
particular call to get the bet rate will be beyond the ability of everyone
except phone phreaks.
================
The 950 Exchange
================
As discussed, the 950 central office exchange is currently a "roaming" access
port for various long distance carriers. In areas that have 950, the access to
carriers is standardized. Thus, someone travelling to several different areas
need only know the 950 number of the carrier he uses to access it from any area
(provided that it have 950 active). Originally, the 950 exchange was designed
to correspond with the 10xx carrier access code used for Equal Access. For
example, 950-1022 would be the same carrier as 1022 (+telephone number).
However, it was later found that the 100 codes available for use as 10xx CACs
would be insufficient to handle he number of long distance carriers. So, the
common carrier access code was increased by one digit, to 10xxx, thus
increasing the number of possible CACs to 1000. To keep the 950 exchange
consistent with the non CAC, the Bell Operating Companies have opted to change
the 950-10xx to 950-0xxx. The xxx in the 950-0xxx remains the same as the xxx
in the 10xxx carrier access code. The new modified 950 numbering pan is now
active in Philadelphia (Bell Atlantic) among other areas.
After Equal Access is well under way, the 950 exchange will be used in
certain areas that cannot be equipped for the standard Equal Access dialing
plans. This includes step-by-step, #1 crossbar, #5 crossbar, #2ESS, and #3ESS
offices. Customers in areas served by these types of switching equipment will
dial 950-0xxx, wait for acknowledgement tone from the carrier, and then dial a
"personal identification number" and destination telefone number,and the call
will be completed on the selected carrier's facilities. Initially, billing
will be handled by the carrier itself, and supervisory information and ANI will
not be provided by the local Bell Operating Company.
There are three main advantages to the 950 central office exchange and
protocol. They are: a) universal access for all areas, b) 950-exchange numbers
are "trunk side access." This means that the long distance carrier has direct
trunks going to it from a Bell toll office or local central office. These
trunks are interoffice lines, not customer type (POTS) lines, and supposedly
insure higher quality of connection. And, c) 950-exchange numbers are toll and
message unit free. On metered-usage (i.e., not "flat rate") customer lines,
they cost nothing. In most areas they are free from coin stations, with
Colorado as one notable exception.
Page 151
The Official Phreaker's Manual
=====
Costs
=====
Each long-distance carrier must choose the type(s) of service it wishes to
provide to its customers. These different types of service were outlined
earlier as "Feature Groups." The costs of these Feature Groups vary directly
with the complexity and quality of the service itself. The following table
outlines the cost to the carrier of each available Feature Group. It is based
on the monthly rate per line for 9000 minutes of circuit use, and assumes the
carrier and Bell switch are 15 miles apart.
FG non-Equal Access Equal Access
--------------------------------------------------------
A $329.94 $709.20
B 329.94 721.80
C 752.40 ** N/A **
D ** N/A ** 752.40
--------------------------------------------------------
These figures are a lot more significant than they might appear. They
indicate that after Equal Access, in order to compete with the giants such as
AT&T, MCI, etc., smaller long distance companies will use Feature Group A or B
type service in order to provide significantly lower rates to their customers
than companies subscribing to Feature Group D service (like AT&T, MCI, etc).
This will cause a unique type of equilibrium to form. Customers willing to
dial an access number, authorization code, and destination number and put up
with lower quality service will be able to save a lot of money. This seems
faintly reminiscent of pre-Equal Access times....
====================
Directory Assistance
====================
Each Bell Operating Company will be responsible for providing intra-LATA
operator services. When a customer dials (1)+411 or (1)+555+1212 for local
directory assistance, he will reach a Bell operator who will service requests
for listed numbers within the customer's LATA. Requests for numbers in LATAs
other than the calling customer's may be handled at the discretion of the local
operating company. Initially, the Bell Operating Companies will meet the
responsibility for providing directory assistance services by contracting it to
a long distance carrier or carriers (currently AT&T). All inter-LATA directory
assistance services will be provided by the inter-LATA carrier (IC). ICs may
also provide 800 Enterprise service or other toll free type directory
assistance services. See table.
=================================================================
Intra-LATA:
=================================================================
HNPA 411/555-1212 BOC
*FNPA NPA+555-1212 BOC
HNPA 10xxx+555-1212 intra-LATA carrier
*FNPA 10xxx+NPA+555-1212 intra-LATA carrier
=================================================================
Inter-LATA:
=================================================================
HNPA (10xxx)+1+555-1212 IC
Page 152
The Official Phreaker's Manual
FNPA (10xxx)+1+NPA+555-1212 IC
=================================================================
- When LATA boundaries cross NPA boundaries (rare).
FNPA = Foreign Numbering Plan Area (area code).
HNPA = Home Numbering Plan Area (area code).
At first glance, the above table appears somewhat complex. But, if you
understand the concept of LATAs and carriers, it is easily understood.
Essentially, all local Bell Operating Companies will maintain their own
directory assistance services. When a customer dials 411 or 555-1212, he will
reach a BOC directory assistant. Additionally, each long distance carrier that
wishes to provide directory assistance to its customers will also have DA
facilities. And, when a customer dials a directory assistant (NPA+555-1212) on
a carrier, he will reach an operator of that particular long distance carrier.
The key here is LATAs. If a customer wants to find a number that is within his
LATA, no long distance carrier is involved. It is handled strictly by the
Local Bell Operating Company. If a customer is seeking a number that is not
within his LATA, he must use the services of an inter-LATA (long-distance)
carrier.
======================
TSPS Operator Services
======================
Traffic Service Position System (TSPS) operator services will be handled much
in the same fashion as directory assistance services, with a few differences.
As with DAs, each Bell Operating Company and each inter-LATA carrier will
maintain its own TSPS operator facilities (or cordboard I suppose, if they
cannot afford TSPS). When a customer dials simply 0 (operator), he will reach
a BOC TSPS operator. The BOC TSPS will be able to handle all types of
intra-LATA operator-assisted traffic including (but not limited to): collect,
third party billing, Bell credit card, coin, verification and emergency
interrupt, and requests for emergency aid. BOC TSPS will be unable to complete
calls for customers outside of the customer's LATA. Thus, inter-LATA operator
assistance will be handled by an inter-LATA carrier TSPS (IC TSPS). An IC TSPS
will handle all previously mentioned types of calls that require inter-LATA
transport (i.e., the call originates and terminates in different LATAs). When
a customer dials 0+NXX-XXXXX or 0+NPA+NXX-XXXX, the central office will
determine if the call is destined for another LATA. If it is not, the call
will be sent to the Bell TSPS for appropriate handling. If the call is bound
for another LATA (and his determination is made based on the NXX or NPA+NXX),
then the call will be sent off to the customer's primary long-distance carrier
(since only 0+ was dialed). If the customer wishes to use a different
carrier's operator services, he would dial 10xxx+0+number, and the carrier
specified by the 10xxx carrier access code would receive the call. Note: if a
customer dials 10xxx+0+number, and the call is an intra-LATA call, he will get
a recording, "We're sorry, the number you dialed cannot be reached with the
carrier access code you dialed. Please check the code and try again or call
your carrier for assistance." (Western Electric KS-22550 central office tape
list no. 46.) Until the Bell Operating Companies can install their own TSPS
facilities and networks, they will (continue to) lease capacity from AT&T TSPS.
That is, AT&T will handle the intra-LATA traffic for the BOCs on a contract
basis. In the meantime, AT&T will continue to handle its own long-distance
operator services while the other inter-LATA carriers will have to implement
their own operator networks from scratch. My estimation is that you won't be
able to dial 10222+0 for an MCI TSPS operator until sometime around the year
2590. And even then they will probably be cordboard.
In addition to the changes in TSPS described above, there will be certain
Page 153
The Official Phreaker's Manual
modifications to the software and hardware involved in the TSPS operator
system. Most critical, and of paramount importance to the telecommunications
enthusiast is changes in circuit associated signalling (CAS). This is
signalling to and from the TSPS facility. When a customer dials 0 (operator) or
10xxx+0 (IC operator), a succession of events occurs. First, the end office
seizes a trunk to the appropriate operator facility (this assumes that no
access tandem is involved). The operator service facility responds with a wink
(proceed signal) and the end office outpulses the CALLED number (or KP+ST if 0
only dialed). The operator service (OS) facility will then come off-hook to
signal that it is ready to receive ANI information. The end office outpulses
the ANI information in the format of KP+II+7 digits+ST (or ST'). If there is
ANI failure, a KP+02+ST (or ST') will be sent. "ST'" stands for STart "prime",
and is indicative of a coin call (i.e., dial 0 from a coin station). A normal
ST terminating the ANI sequence means that the call is originating from a
noncoin station. See table for ultimate description.
Inter-LATA calls MF-pulsed
type of call customer dials cld num ANI
============================================================
noncoin:
============================================================
direct dialed 10xxx+1+7/10d KP+7/10d+ST'' KP+II+7d+ST
operator assist 10xxx+0 KP+ST''' KP+II+7d+ST
special toll 10xxx+0+7/10d KP+7/10d+ST''' KP+II+7d+ST
============================================================
coin:
============================================================
direct dialed 10xxx+1+7/10d KP+7/10d+ST KP+II+7d+ST
operator assist 10xxx+0 KP+ST' KP+II+7d+ST
special toll 10xxx+0+7/10d KP+7/10d+ST' KP+II+7d+ST
=============================================================================
Intra-LATA calls
=============================================================================
noncoin:
=============================================================================
direct dialed 10xxx+1+7/10d KP+7/10d+ST'' KP+II+7d+ST'
operator assist 10xxx+0 KP+ST''' KP+II+7d+ST'
special toll 10xxx+0+7/10d KP+7/10d+ST''' KP+II+7d+ST'
=============================================================================
coin:
=============================================================================
direct dialed 10xxx+1+7/10d KP+7/10d+ST KP+II+7d+ST'
operator assist 10xxx+0 KP+ST' KP+II+7d+ST'
special toll 10xxx+0+7/10d KP+7/10d+ST' KP+II+7d+ST'
=============================================================================
Note: ST=Start, ST'=STart prime, ST''=Start double prime, ST'''=STart triple
prime.
Once again, the above table appears somewhat intimidating in its complexity.
All these STs, ST primes, etc. Actually, the only purpose of the starts is to
distinguish to the TSPS machine exactly what type of call the customer is
placing and from what type of telefone he is calling. "Special toll" calls are
collect, credit card, and third-party billing type calls. Here is an example
of a complete dialing and outpulsing sequence for an operator service call:
Page 154
The Official Phreaker's Manual
from a coin fone, a customer dials 0+ (or 10xxx+) 303+979-9997. The central
office would seize a trunk to the operator service facility and outpulse:
KP+303+979-9997+ST'. This indicates to the operator service facility that the
call is a special toll call originating from a coin telephone. The OS facility
comes off-hook and the central office would then outpulse KP+00+232+9969+ST.
This is he ANI information, and the ST indicates that the call is inter-LATA
(if it were intra-LATA, the sequence would be terminated with ST' instead).
Perhaps now I should explain screening. Certain telefones are "screened"
against placing certain types of calls. A screening code is a two digit
information carrier. For instance, 00 is "identified line" (no special
treatment), 01 is multiparty ONI (operator number identification), 02 is ANI
failure, 06 is hotel/motel, 07 is coinless (hospital/inmate fone), 08 is
inter-LATA restricted, 68 is hotel inter-LATA restricted, 78 is coinless
(hospital inmate) inter-LATA restricted, etc. A 98 is an AT&T Charge-A-Call
fone (those blue fuckers). More screening codes are allocated as they are
needed. Note that the original TSPS screening design only allowed for single
digit information digits. They were later found to be insufficient.
I believe that the operator services have been adequately covered, so I will
now move on to other aspects of Equal Access.
=============
Routing Codes
=============
The TTC (terminating toll centre) and special routing codes will continue to
be used in inter-LATA networks. These 0xx and 1xx type codes, which sometimes
precede operator routing codes, will be assigned to various ICs on an
individual basis. When 0xx and 1xx codes serve as pseudo-central office code,
they will be coordinated such that it will avoid IC conflicts. The
Numbering/Dialing Planning Group of the Central Services Organization (sounds
like some sort of Communist governing body) will provide assistance where the
assignment of coordinated codes is necessary.
==================
Special Area Codes
==================
Special area codes, also called Service Area Codes (SACs) presented the
designers of Equal Access with an interesting problem. SACs are N00 type area
codes, such as 700, 800, and 900. They are used for special services and
unlike normal area codes, are not associated with a particular state or region.
Each long distance carrier will be allocated its own exchanges in each service
area code. Thus, when a customer places a call to a number in a service area
code, the central office will examine the exchange of the telefone number and
route the call over the proper carrier's facilities. The customer will be
totally oblivious to this process. Current SACs include 700 (teleconferencing),
800 (toll free services), and 900 (dial-it services). There are currently
plans under way to implement the 600 area code, although its exact uses are not
yet clear.
================
Signalling to IC
================
Each long distance carrier that wishes to serve a particular LATA must
establish a point of presence (POP) in that LATA. A carrier's POP is a toll
office that receives toll traffic destined for another LATA. A POP is a centre
for inter-LATA transport of toll traffic. This traffic will be directed to it
Page 155
The Official Phreaker's Manual
from a Bell central office, either an end office or an access tandem (AT). An
access tandem is simply a Bell office which directs long distance traffic from
a number of local end offices to a number of different inter-LATA carriers. To
pass call details (such as called and calling numbers) from the Bell local
office to the inter-LATA carrier, a signalling system was designed that employs
current multifrequency (MF) signalling protocol. When a customer dials
10xxx+(1/0)+(NPA)+NXX+, the end office will seize a trunk to the appropriate IC
as determined by the 10xxx CAC (or primary carrier if no CAC is dialed). Note:
this happens as soon as the customer finishes dialing the exchange, even though
he may still be dialing the last four digits of he telefone number. After the
end office has seized a trunk to the IC, the IC will return a wink, which is
the signal to proceed. Then, the end office will send ANI information, in the
format of: KP+II+10 digit ANI+ST. If the carrier is not to receive ANI
information from the Bell Operating Company (i.e., they are not paying for it),
then only KP+ST is sent. Presumably, by now the customer has completed dialing
the last four digits of the destination telefone number, so the end office will
send: KP+7 or 10 digit CALLED number+ST. Note several things here: 1) The IC
does not send a wink when it is ready to receive CALLED number information. 2)
ANI information is ten digits, plus a two-digit screening code, and 3) The
central office's outpulsing to the IC overlaps the customer's dialing.
Some ANI screening codes include: 00 (identified POTS), 01 (ONI multiparty),
02 (ANI failure), 06 (hotel without room identification), 07 (coinless,
hospital, inmate, etc.), 08 (inter-LATA restriction), 10 (test call), 20 (AIOD
calls, listed DN sent), 27 (coin call), and 95 (test call). These are the same
or similar as the screening codes used in operator service signalling.
In addition to the domestic signalling design outlined above, a new
international signalling system has been designed for use with Equal Access.
It also uses two-stage, overlapping outpulsing. After a customer has completed
dialing (10xxx)+011+CC (CC is country code), the Bell end office will seize a
trunk to he appropriate IC (or international carrier, if direct routing is
available). The IC/INC will respond with a wink, and the end office will
outpulse: KP+1NX+YXX+CCC+ST. Each of these three groups of routing information
indicate something different abut the international call being placed. The 1NX
is the "international system routing code, one for each type of call routing."
I have absolutely no idea what that means, and no one I have talked to at Bell,
AT&T, MCI, CCITT, ITT, the CSO and FCC have any idea either. Next, the YXX is
the carrier routing code. It is actually XXX, Which is the three digits of the
10xxx CAC for the particular carrier being accessed. Finally, CCC is the
country code, padded with a zero if necessary.
One may wonder why the CAC is signalled forward when a trunk is seized
directly to the carrier itself. The reason for this is that in some cases a
direct trunk to the carrier is not available and the call must be routed
through an access tandem, which is responsible for routing calls to a variety
of different long distance carriers.
====================
Switch Compatibility
====================
Full-feature Equal Access will become available first for Western Electric
#1ESS switching systems. It will be available first in generic 1E8 (1AE8 for
#1A ESS). Later, generic 5E2 for #5ESS, generic 2B4 for #2B ESS, generic
BCS-16 for Northern Telecom DMS-100, and generics 209 and 302 for DMS-10 will
provide full-feature Equal Access capabilities in those types of end office
switching equipment. The Western Electric #4ESS, #1 and 1A ESS, #5ESS, and the
Northern Telecom DMS-200 machines which serve as toll offices or access tandems
will be capable of receiving the new Equal Access signalling format, after
required generic development. Other switches (such as all crossbar offices)
Page 156
The Official Phreaker's Manual
will not be able to handle the new signalling format.
=====
LATAs
=====
LATAs, Local Access and Transport Areas, are the entire key to the
administration of Equal Access. They can be thought of as miniature area
codes. A telefone call can never cross a LATA boundary except on an inter-LATA
carrier. However, there are certain exceptions to this. For example, in the
state of Colorado, which consists of two LATAs, the local Bell Operating
Company (Mountain Bell), which serves as the intra-LATA (i.e., calls to/from
the same LATA) carrier, may also serve as inter-LATA (to/from different LATAs)
carrier within Colorado.
There are also exceptions in the corridor region of the New York/New
Jersey/Pennsylvania area.
The forty-eight continental United States consist of 161 LATAs. Some states,
such as Deleware, consist of only one LATA, while others, such as Illinois, can
have up to 14 or more. Each LATA is given a name. For instance, Pennsylvania
consists of six LATAs: Philadelphia, Capital, Northeast, Altoona, Pittsburgh,
and Erie (independent telco).
==============
A Few Thoughts
==============
In 1973, Chrysler, A&P, RCA, Phillips Petroleum, S.S. Kresge, Boeing
Aircraft, International Harvester, Woolworth's, Greyhound, Firestone, Litton,
and General Foods, among others, each reported annual profits of less than $150
million. In that same year, the Telephone Company wrote off, as being
uncollectable, debts of $150 million.
In 1974, the Bell System had direct interests in at least 276 organizations,
many of them not related to the telefone industry. Bell also had interlocking
financial arrangements with such corporations as the Chase Manhattan Bank, IBM,
Prudential Insurance, Sears Roebuck, General Motors, U.S. Steel, and Lever
Brothers. Should the need have arisen, the Bell System in 1974 could have
exercised control of 400 billion dollars, fully one-third of that year's gross
national product.
From: Hyde, J. Edward, The Phone Book. Henry Regnery Publishing Company,
Chicago Illinois, 1976. ISBN 0-8092-8008-6.
There are many viewpoints as to the future course of the telefone industry.
The general consensus among most Telco employees is that the children of AT&T
(i.e., the seven regional holding companies into which the Bell System was
divided) will someday be reassembled into the original Bell System, and all
will be well and good in the world of telecommunications again. I tend to
disagree with this. I think that within three decades the entire telefone
industry will be consolidated and nationalized. It will be owned and operated
entirely by the United States Federal Government. This will accomplish several
goals of the government. First, the immense revenue from telefone services
will provide great financial resources for the federal government. Rates for
telefone services will skyrocket far out of the range of affordability, quality
of service will deteriorate to a point of unusability, and meanwhile
politicians will get rich.
Second, once the government controls the telefone system, monitoring the
general public will become infinitely easier. Big Brother will be able to keep
and eye, or rather, an ear on the general population, and giant step forward in
Page 157
The Official Phreaker's Manual
ultimate government control of peoples' lives will be achieved. Most people
won't know anything about this, and even if they do, they won't give a shit
because by then the fucking government will have already invaded every
remaining private aspect of the individual's life.
To those who find it utterly unthinkable that the federal government would
ever assume control of the telefone industry, I would call attention to the
situation that existed between 1917 and 1919. During this time the government
controlled the phone system of the United States. J. Edward Hyde sums it up
beautifully:
Between 1917 and 1919, the Federal Government did control the phone
industry. Since then, the most charitable historians have blamed the
subsequent mess on the First World War. Others blame it on the democrats. But
the fact is that it was a fiasco of the bureaucracy's own making, combined with
intracompany sabotage.
Today, in those countries where the phone service is nationally owned, the
service runs from poor to nonexistent. Would you want the government that gave
you the Russian wheat deals, Defense Department overruns, Amtrak, and the
Postal Service handling your phone problems?
From: Hyde, J. Edward, The Phone Book. Henry Regnery Publishing Company,
Chicago, Illinois, 1976. ISBN 0-8092-8008-6, p. 170.
Technical References:
Notes on the BOC intra-LATA Networks. American Telephone & Telegraph Company,
1983.
The Phone Book. J. Edward Hyde, 1976.
Bell System Technical Journal. Volume 58, Number 5.
Engineering and Operations in the Bell System. American Telephone & Telegraph
Company, 1983.
Acknowledgements: Karl Marx, Telenet Bob, and the scores of Telco employees
in Denver, White Plains, Omaha, and North Jersey who were very helpful in
patiently answering my many questions about Equal Access.
Thanks to Mack the Knife for magnetic transfer of this illustrious file, a
tedious task for which I have no time.
Thanks to the following printers for their cooperation and professional manner
in helping me with final production of this file:
Kinko's Print Shop
7155 West Colfax
Lakewood, CO
Office Products and Printing
5035 S. Kipling Suite B4
Littleton, CO
This has been a Mark Tabas Encounter Series production. Questions, comments,
and requests may be addressed to:
Tabas
Page 158
The Official Phreaker's Manual
P.O. Box 620401
Littleton, CO 80162
Requests for copies of this or any other Encounter Series file are honored for
free, but please enclose a self-addressed medium sized first class mailing
envelope with 73 cents postage.
Special thanks to Steve Reger, who was kind enough to shoot my neighbor's dog,
whose incessant barking constantly distracted me as I labored to complete this
file.
(for Amy) cl/KIABB!/jd
Page 159
The Official Phreaker's Manual
Equal Access and Modem Autodialers by Shadow 2600
Now that AT&T is being divested of its local telephone companies, phone
customers across the nation have to choose their long distance carrier as equal
access is phased in. Advertising campaigns emphasize such aspects as low rates
and operator assistance, but no one mentions a factor that will affect modem
users who use auto dialers for long distance calls. Not all of the alternate
long distance carriers provide called party answering supervision on all calls.
Called party answering supervision basically has the telephone company start
billing only when the called party answers the telephone. However, many of the
alternate long distance companies still operate with the "fixed timeout" basis
for charging. That is, if a call is held for a fixed length of time (usually
30 seconds) the charging starts, whether or not the call was answered. This
could cause modem owners large bills if they use autodialers to make long
distance calls. Modems are usually set up to wait up to one minute when
attempting to make a call, and thus have to timeout through busy signals, long
call setup sequences, extender waits, and similar problems. This could result
in many billed but never answered calls.
Some of the other carriers provide it on calls to some cities, and others
not support it at all. Only AT&T Communications provides called party
answering supervision on all calls to all points at this time. It is almost
impossible to get information on how a long distance company charges its calls
as as they don't want to reveal how their billing is handled. The alternate
carriers get called party supervision when the destination location goes equal
access. However, there has been no quick action on the part of the alternate
long distance companies to make use of the supervision data as they would have
to get equipment for passing the information back to the billing computer at
the originating point. Thus called party answering supervision information
often ends up being ignored by these carriers even when available. Another
point to remember is that called party answering supervision's availability
depends on whether the destination has equal access, not the originating
location. The lower long distance rates of alternate long distance rates must
be weighed against the time out problem as it affects autodialing modems. One
way to circumvent this is merely to set your modem to a shorter
waiting-for-connect time, but this may not provide enough time for the call to
go through. [For more information on this and other telecommunications topics
call the Private Sector BBS at (201) 366- 4431]
Page 160
The Official Phreaker's Manual
==Phrack Inc.==
Volume One, Issue Two, Phile #6 of 9
Toward Universal Information Services Via ISDN
~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~ ~~~ ~~~~
by Taran King
From PROTO newsletter of AT&T Bell Laboratories
------------------------------------------------------------
Phase one, the Present.
~~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~ ~~~~~~~~
The local network of today, although still largely voice-oriented, is already
on the path to Universal Information Services. Lightguide fiber is
dramatically expanding the capacity of local networks, helping to lower the
costs and increase the demand for high-band width, Information Age services.
And public networks are increasingly digital and geared for data and special
services. For example:
o The AT&T Network Systems 5ESS (TM <riiiight>) switch, designed by Bell
Laboratories, can serve as the hub of a local deployment of remote modules at
locations up to 100 miles from a host central office.
o The Integrated Special Services Network (ISSN) is a channel network that
provides special services, customer control options and digital private lines
rearrangeable under software control. The ISSN incorporates digital carrier
terminating equipment such as the D4 Channel Bank, D5 Digital Terminal System
and Digital Access and Cross-connect System (DACS).
o The New Centrex is bringing greater levels of customer control, improved
services and a broad range of data capabilities to the business customer.
Today's public networks consist of multiple or overlay networks. The public
switched network, or circuit network, mainly for voice, is the base network.
Two kinds of overlay networks provide special services. Channel networks carry
private lines leased by large customers and transmit much of today's data and
image traffic; they also handle traffic for network operations support. Packet
networks carry data communications, while packet switching is used internally
to public networks for common channel signaling to set up, route and take down
calls, or to give customers information. "Overlay networks help
telecommunications companies efficiently meet growing demand for digital
transmission and special services," says Stan Johnston, Market Planning
Manager, Network Systems Evolution, in AT&T Network Systems. "Their integration
into a single network, however, would be still more effective."
Phase two, the Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN).
~~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~
The ISDN is a concept to which AT&T is committed - and it's the foundation
for Universal Information Services. The central idea of ISDN, as AT&T Network
Systems sees it, is to provide an individual user a link to the local central
office of generous band-width - a digital subscriber line that can carry
144,000 bits per second (sure beats 2400 baud!). The band-width is subdivided
into two 64,000-bit channels, which may carry voice or data or both, and one
16,000-bit channel for packetized signaling information or data transport.
Such a link provides convenient "integrated" network access by accommodating
voice, data and signaling over a single line.
The ISDN will make it easier for a customer to get varied services from
public and private networks. More bandwidth for big customers will be
available through another ISDN access standard, the extended digital subscriber
Page 161
The Official Phreaker's Manual
line, which provides 1.5 billion bits per second as 24 channels of 64,000 bits
each.
In 1986, new software from Bell Labs will enable the 5ESS switch to
accommodate ISDN-sized 144,000-bit channels that standardize and simplify
subscribers' use of local networks. AT&T is committed to future products that
will also be ISDN-compatible. Other vendors, too, some of whom already plan to
build premises, terminal, and other equipment to ISDN standards, will make ISDN
a cooperative effort.
By providing integrated digital access to networks, ISDN will make important
progress toward the goal of Universal Information Services. But overlay
networks will continue to divvy up the transport job. And messages needing
less than 144,000 bits per second will not fill their allotted bandwidth,
leaving capacity under utilized.
Phase three, Universal Information Services.
~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~
Rooted in the fertile ground of 5ESS switches, ISDN equipment and
technologies such as wideband packet transport, Universal Information Services
will bear fruit during the 1990s. From a single kind of network will hang
services as different as apples, oranges and pears. Just as network access was
integrated in ISDN, transport functions will increasingly be integrated by
powerful new network equipment evolved from equipment developed for the ISDN.
Where customers once got standard-sized ISDN channels, they'll get big
bandwidth for large jobs, little bandwidth for small jobs.
Downloaded From P-80 International Information Systems 304-744-2253