Thursday, May 27, 1999

By CP TORONTO -- Your telephone will work on Jan. 1, 2000, but there's a small chance your phone bill will be a bit wonky, Canada's major telecom carriers said yesterday after they released results from recent Y2K tests.

The tests, conducted by the Canadian Year 2000 Telecom Industry Forum, involved labs in 13 cities -- six in Canada and seven in the United States -- simulating the operation of Canada's entire telephone network.

Subsequent analysis of 1,020 test calls revealed "no errors or problems" with local, long-distance, wireless, international and data services, the industry group concluded.

"These results give us very high confidence no Year 2000 failures should impact the ability to place a call before, during and after the millennium roll-over," said Alex Giosa, vice-president of network operations at the Stentor alliance.

But he and another telecom executive confirmed that the millennium bug might infiltrate so-called back-office functions -- such as the compilation and printing of billing statements.

"There's a huge number of (back-office systems) and, yes, there's a possibility there could be a failure there," said Ron Hoseman, director of the Year 2000 program at AT and T Canada.

Giosa, whose group represents most of Canada's big telephone companies, agreed that billing is a vulnerable area.

"Of the numerous computer programs that are in the back offices, if there's any area where we might experience some disruption, that would be the area," he said.

Hoseman stressed that during five days of Y2K testing in early February, inspection of all "call detail reports" -- data generated at the network level that helps carriers keep track of calls -- showed no errors.

Still, that doesn't mean there won't be problems once individual telecom companies start processing that raw information.

"Compliance of those systems is up to the . . . companies," Hoseman said.

-- Norm (nwo@hotmail.com), May 27, 1999

Answers

"The phones with work that is assuming the powergrid stays up. Will the power grid stay up probably that is assuming the banking system stays up" author, JOHN KOSHIKEN Don't forget the interdependence factor..

-- steve (sh@sh.com), May 27, 1999.

Sure, Steve, the power grid depends on the banking system. Uh-huh.

-- andonandonandonand (assume@speculate.guess), May 27, 1999.

........"What are you doing Dave?"........ "I'm going to unplug you Norm".........................................................." Let's....talk,...Dave"............. "Too late Norm"......"Dave?....... Dave?".........

-- Stanley K. (2000@spaced.out), May 27, 1999.

how many utility workers are going to stay on and work when they are not getting paid? How long will you stay at your job if your not getting paid? see the link here!!

-- steve (sh@sh.com), May 27, 1999.

MACRO NORM, not MICRO!!!!!!!1 This applies to everyone of your post's that I have read!

-- FLAME AWAY (BLehman202@aol.com), May 27, 1999.

Poor Scotty HATES to see facts...

-- Y2K Pro (2@641.com), May 27, 1999.

Steve: I work for a phone company, at least 90 days of fuel to produce electricity. Will we and our brother power workers stay on the job without getting a paycheck? Yes, we've done it before and probably will do it again. Thru riots, tornadoes, earthquakes, hurricanes. It may or may not be a futile effort but we won't walk away from what MOST of us consider a duty as well as a job. If you have a job that is vital to the safety and wellfare of your community you don't run away. If you job doesn't fit into that category, head for the hills, we'll call you when it safe for you to come back.

-- Bruce (bwblanchard@ems.att.com), May 28, 1999.