Path: utzoo!telecom-request Date: 26 Jun 91 13:25:51 GMT From: Bob Lancelot Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: RE: Two Cellular Phones With the Same ESN (was Dumb Question) Message-ID: Organization: Motorola Inc. - Cellular Infrastructure Div., Arlington Hgts, IL Sender: Telecom@eecs.nwu.edu 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 497, Message 9 of 10 Lines: 30 John R. Convert writes: > I'm really surprised that an employee of Motorola's Cellular Division > would publish information that would help people modify their > electronic serial numbers. Supposedly the device sold by these guys > will only make the number the same as the number in some other phone > that you own, but even this is a violation of the standard -- and who > is going to make sure that dealers who market the device are going to > be honest. It was not my intent to imply endorsement of the fraudulent modification of ESNs by posting the information received from CELLUSOFT SYSTEMS. It is partly due to the fact that I am employed by Motorola Cellular that I have an interest in these devices and their availability. > It is specifically the fact that there are phones which apparently > don't break permanently when you try to do this and that there are > dealers out there selling devices to take advantage of poor phone > design that PREVENT ME FROM BEING ABLE TO DIRECT DIAL LONG DISTANCE > CALLS WHEN TRAVELLING. Fraud is certainly a problem within the AMPS systems. However, I believe the main reason that you cannot direct dial long distance calls from your cellular phone is due to the lack of interworking among the operators and the lack of a national clearinghouse. IS-41 is addressing this issue. (Perhaps someone more knowledgeable in this area can provide details for John.)