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From: davej@uw-vlsi.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.general
Subject: Re: delays in phone propagation
Message-ID: <329@uw-vlsi.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 12-Oct-83 22:39:45 EDT
Article-I.D.: uw-vlsi.329
Posted: Wed Oct 12 22:39:45 1983
Date-Received: Fri, 14-Oct-83 03:05:35 EDT
Lines: 13

from Victor J. Slabinski, Astrodynamics Department, COMSAT:
	"I wish to inform [you] that AT&T often routes domestic long
	 distance phone calls via the COMSTAR communications satelite.
	 In that case the time signal travels approximately 38,000 km
	 from the earth to the satelite and another 38,000 km back to
	 earth with a resulting propagation path delay (uplink plus
	 downlink) of 250 milliseconds. ... Long-distance callers to
	 the Master Clock should be aware of this possible path delay
	 when setting their clocks."
If your company or institution subscribes to a non-AT&T WATS service,
the delays can be equivalent or longer.  The time delay is VERY evident
in coast-to-coast calls, and makes communications with the partry at the
other end difficult and frustrating!