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newsletter://mv.com
May 1998
Important stuff
We're very excited to announce new access numbers throughout the
state, all of which support normal modem calls, ISDN, and K56flex calls
(and V.90 when it's available to us). This newsletter deals exclusively
with this new service - it's all very important information so please read
it carefully. Unless we missed you, you've been notified in brief of this
new service via email as well.
Changes in dialup access
If you follow our announcements on our web page, and the discussions
of things happening at MV in our mv newsgroups (and if not, we recommend
that you do), you've read about sweeping new changes in dialup access at
MV. Last fall we began the process of adding K56flex capability to our
existing Points of Presence (POPs). We rapidly found this to be a very
frustrating process, as lead times for new digital service from Bell Atlan-
tic were anywhere from several months to a year, and often this service
completely unavailable or only available in a degraded form.
Early in 1998 we made an arrangement to obtain new digital service
from Brooks Fiber, a competitive local exchange carrier (CLEC). This
arrangement would allow us to offer normal dialup, ISDN, and K56flex access
(and V.90 when it becomes available) in all of our present locations, as
well as add significant new local coverage throughout New Hampshire. The
new local numbers do not require us to have equipment physically located in
each exchange area (which is what we have with our current POPs) - rather,
Brooks delivers the data to us over digital trunking from that local
exchange to our center in Manchester. This means better operations cover-
age through central maintenance and management, and makes it easier for us
to react to any equipment issues. Our connection to Brooks is now via a
direct fiber link between our facility and theirs - which not only provides
a clean connection to us but makes it very easy for us to obtain new ser-
vice as we need it.
Our arrangements with Brooks included major purchase commitments, and
we plan to greatly reduce (and in some locations eliminate) our current
analog dialup in favor of this new access.
New access numbers and new NH areas covered
Many new exchanges were created in towns around the state for use by
Brooks Fiber. Since these are new exchanges, they won't be immediately
familiar to you. For instance, you may know that 224-xxxx is in Concord,
or 883-xxxx is in Nashua. (The first three digits, 224 or 883 in these
examples, is referred to as the exchange or as an NXX.) The new Brooks
NXXs in Concord is 573, and in Nashua is 324 - so 573-xxxx is a Brooks
number in Concord, and 324-xxxx is a Brooks number in Nashua.
Our new access number in each of the Brooks exchanges is -6387 (which
is -NETS). So, our Concord number is 573-6387, and our Nashua number is
324-6387.
There's a new Brooks access number in each town in which we currently
have analog dialup through our POPs. These new Brooks numbers are addi-
tional numbers: the POPs are still there although, as stated above, our
plans include rapidly reducing our analog modem pools. Our current POP
locations and new Brooks NXXs for those locations: Concord(573),
Dover(285), Keene(338), Manchester(263), Litchfield/Merrimack(420),
Nashua(324), Peterborough(784), Salem(824).
We've also been able to add access to a lot of new towns in New
Hampshire. This list includes:
Bedford(637), Canaan(282), Candia(587), Claremont(690), Deer-
field(460), Derry(552), Epping(734), Exeter(395), Franklin(671),
Goffstown(351), Littleton(575), Lyme(597), Laconia(273), Lebanon(667),
Meredith(677), Milford(732), Milton(350), New Boston(325), North Con-
way(730), Pelham(751), Plaistow(797), Plymouth(779), Portsmouth(570),
Rye Beach(379), South Hampton(274), Spofford(592), Sunapee(829), Sun-
cook(270), Tamworth(861), Tilton(729), and Wolfeboro(941).
All of the numbers listed above are working now - and there may be
several more by the time you read this. The complete list is always avail-
able on our web page (go to www.mv.com and select "Access Numbers".
New capabilities: K56flex, ISDN, V.90
All of the new Brooks service is brought to us over PRI (Primary Rate
ISDN) connections to our center, and is being handled by all-new remote
access server equipment at MV incorporating ISDN and digital modems.
This means that all of the new numbers support normal modem access
(2400 through 33,600 baud), ISDN, and K56flex access - plus V.90 when it
becomes available to us. (Note that ISDN may not be available in your par-
ticular area, and that there are telephone company rate issues that you
should be aware of.)
Convert now!
Please convert to using the new numbers as soon as you can - but be
sure to read the "Caveats" below. We have invested in large new capacity
in the new Brooks numbers and we will be reducing our current analog modem
pools on a rapid schedule.
The new numbers are in a virtual POP that we call the "BNH" POP.
If you are an IP user with a dynamic IP address, you will be able to
use the new BNH POP (the new numbers) immediately. However, if you are an
IP user with a static IP address that is tied to one of the other POPs, you
will need to convert either to a dynamic IP address (very preferable) or to
a static IP address that is tied to the BNH POP. To convert, give us a
call at 629-0000 or send an email message to mv-admin@mv.mv.com.
Caveats
Be sure you know what, if any, telephone charges you will incur when
dialing the new numbers or any other MV number. MV makes no representation
about telephone charges - this is something for you to verify. Unfor-
tunately, some of these exchanges are very new and when you call a Bell
Atlantic operator to verify them, they may not recognize them. In theory,
the information is in a rate database called the LERG - you may mention
this fact to the operator. We have a discussion of this issue and other
related information on our web page as a link from the section that lists
the Brooks numbers (go to www.mv.com, click on Access Numbers, and you'll
see the link to the page where the new numbers are presented).
If you get service from one of the independent telephone companies in
New Hampshire (for example, Granite State Telephone or the Wilton Telephone
Company), you will not be able to call any of the Brooks numbers as a local
call, even if a call to the equivalent Bell Atlantic number is local to
you. This is a problem that seems to fly in the face of the definition of
local calling zones set up by the PUC on the basis of community areas, but
it nevertheless is the case at present.
If you make ISDN calls, you can be charged per-minute fees. We
address this issue on our web page off of the "Access Numbers" area. Be
sure you understand the rates involved with ISDN.
MV Communications PO Box 4963, Manchester, NH 03108 (603) 629-0000