Path: utzoo!mnetor!tmsoft!torsqnt!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!bonnie.concordia.ca!uunet!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!casbah.acns.nwu.edu!nucsrl!telecom-request From: wb8foz@mthvax.cs.miami.edu (David Lesher) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: A History of the USA to Cuba Phone Links Message-ID: Date: 18 Feb 91 16:15:29 GMT Sender: news@casbah.acns.nwu.edu Reply-To: David Lesher Organization: NRK Clinic for habitual NetNews abusers Lines: 40 Approved: Telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 11, Issue 129, Message 1 of 12 Originator: telecom@delta.eecs.nwu.edu Donald Kimberlin posted a great tome about USA -- Cuba telco connection history. I can add a few things. 1) There IS something called "Western Union Havana" that runs circuits to Key West, I believe. I'm aware of one four-wire 75 baud [WOW ;-] teletype link, and several Telex machines. 2) The voice quality of the existing system is likely to be the worst you have ever experienced. The crosstalk is equal to your desired source -- on a good day. 3) The Soviot Chancery has several four-metre {+/-3db ;-} dishes that I assume talk to one of their birds. 4) According to newspaper accounts, there is now fiber-optic cable in place with boocoo capacity. {Who installed it?} The hangup in using it involves transferring money to Cuba to maintain their end of the link. Treasury does not want to break the boycott to that extent. But, Bell South was rumored to be putting the screws on to get it running. Why? Apparently, the existing link [I assume this refers to the Florida City tropo setup] uses spectrum space Bell South wants for cellular service in an area they see as a real gold mine - the Keys. Confusing that is the fact I think I just saw a recent Bell South ad for new Keys cellular service. Have they gone ahead without the needed spectrum space? 5) Once you get to Havana, you still need working local plant to reach your destination. Let me put this in c.d.t. terms: John Higdon, I've got just the place for all that Pac*Bell stuff -- it would be several orders of magnitude better. Ironically, however, the three "international" hotels in town all have new Mitel systems, an off shoot of all the business the Canadians do with Cuba. Just don't count on anything happening when you dial "9." Maybe when everyone is done fixing up the GDR's system, they should stop by Cuba. wb8foz@mthvax.cs.miami.edu (305) 255-RTFM