 Telstra
has made the decision to ABANDON
every Goldphone Owner in Australia and
discontinue providing the 50Hz Customer Line Management
(CLM50) service that Goldphones require to correctly charge
for calls as of:
JUNE
2009, So
it's R.I.P Goldphone on 01/06/2009
Despite the extensive continued usage of
Goldphones across Australia, Telstra justifies closing the
CLM50 service under the grounds that the CLM50 service is old,
problematic and obsolete.
Despite this, the alternative service
that Telstra offers; CLM12Hz will reportedly
cost $450/Year
JUST TO CONNECT (no call charges included in
this) and to add insult to injury, require you to buy a brand new
compatible payphone for BIG $$$. All that expense, and
industry experts say that CLM12hz it may also have it's own share of temperamental
problems anyhow.
For a limited time, we will
accept a Goldphone as a $100 trade-in when you buy a
Yellerphone! Your new Yellerphone could end up costing you as
little as $500!
According to Access Communications, 2007:
"The
12kHz metering system will only work in situations where the
cable between the exchange and the customer's premises is not
conditioned i.e. does not have any line-amplifiers, loading
coils (3.4KHz maximum transmission limit), signalling
repeaters, hybrid amplifiers etc"
Also; "The
switching matrix in a digital PABX/KSU at a customers premises
typically operates at a speed of 8kHz. If the 12kHz metering
pulse is allowed to interact with the PABX/KSU 8kHz switching
speed (due to incorrect design or connection of the band-pass
and band-stop filters), a 4kHz modulated signal is generated
for each 12kHz metering pulse that is received. This
causes audible noise over the conversation and unreliable
12kHz metering detection."
YELLERPHONES are DIFFERENT,
INTELLIGENT, AND BETTER!
Yellerphones are
NOT reliant on Telstra CLM12- They are the obvious low cost,
budget Goldphone replacement alternative.
WHY? Unlike meter-based phones
such as Telstra bluephones and
goldphones, Yellerphones have on-board intelligence
that utilises a time and area-code based database to determine
call charges; The database can be set up to customer
requirements to charge different rates against certain area
codes, block all premium numbers, and can even be updated remotely over the
air!
BUY OR RENT A
YELLERPHONE AND LEAVE TELSTRA's Expensive CLM FOREVER!
Letters from telstra regarding the closure
of the CLM 50hz service for goldphones:
Telstra closing 50Hz Metering
21st
Nov 2007
Important
notice regarding Telstras Customer
Loop
Metering 50Hz service
Dear
Customer
As
you may be aware, Telstra has embarked on a major
transformation journey. We have a clear goal to deliver
world-class communications to you and your business. Its
why, as part of our transformation journey, we are
continually reviewing our products and services.
Review
of the Telstra Customer
Loop
Metering 50Hz service
As
a result of our regular review process, from 21 December
2007, we will no longer install new Customer
Loop
Metering 50Hz services or make changes to existing services.
Your
Customer Loop Metering 50Hz (CLM50) service has allowed you
to determine the cost of a call using a private payphone,
call charge meter, telephone information management system,
PABX or similar system and charge users for any calls made.
Supporting
your business
We
understand the significance these changes may have on your
business and we are committed to supporting your individual
requirements. Should you require additional services, we
will work with you to find the right alternative
solution that best suits your business needs. The right
CLM50 alternative solution will depend on the way you
currently use your service.
We
look forward to continuing to provide you with the best
solutions for your communication needs.
LETTER
II
6
March 2008
Important notice regarding your Customer
Loop
Metering 50 Hz meter pulses (CLM50) service
Dear
Customer,
Further
to our letter of 21 November 2007, please be advised that
the CLM50 service is planned to be withdrawn on 30 May
2009. On and from 21 December 2007, Telstra stopped
installing CLM50 services for new and existing customers.
In addition, existing customers can no longer add new
CLM50 services, or make any changes to their services.
CLM50
is the Telstra network feature allowing you to determine
charges for your customers for phone calls made. Our
records show that your service affected by the CLM50
closure listed below is most likely a payphone.
If
your phone automatically recognises CLM12kHz signaling,
your service will simply change to CLM12kHz signaling when
CLM50 is closed. However, if your phone is not CLM12
compatible you will need to upgrade your equipment if you
choose CLM12.
Telstra
would like to work with you to help you successfully find
a new solution and identify whether any adjustments or
upgrades to your existing customer operated payphone is
required.
What
you need to do
Please
contact our Customer Enquiry Centre on Freecall 1800 731
472* and quote
6565 between 9am and 5pm (AEDST) Monday to Friday for
further information on your payphone compatibility and
migration requirements or to discuss the
alternative solutions.
Yours
sincerely
Also
see details at this Link: http://www.telstra.com.au/services/catalogue/products/customer_loop.html
Read more below about the
CLM50 and CLM12 service if you are technically minded........
Click
to access circuit diagrams and description of CLM
12 khz, CLM 50 KHz (applies to Diamond
Bluephones, Telecom Goldphones
and Telstra Smartphones)
Most Telstra exchanges in Australia have the
option to send a 12kHz signal (pulse) over the speech pair to
the customers premises for each registration that is recorded
by the customer's call-metering-circuitry in the
telephone exchange. This allows customers to calculate their
call-charges. Because each meter-registration is charged a
fixed rate, simply counting the number of registrations gives
the customer an approximation of the call-cost. Third-party
hardware or software at the customer's premises is used to
record these 12kHz pulses.
In Australia, a single call-billing
registration occurs at the successful connection of a local
call. In contrast to many other countries, local calls in
Australia are un-timed and cover the geographic area of
several telephone exchanges. As an example, a call from Avalon
(one of Sydney's most northerly suburbs) to Sutherland (one of
Sydney's most southerly suburbs) is an un-timed local call and
will record just one meter registration.
For long distance (STD or IDD) calls, meter
pulses are sent at a pre-defined interval, the time between
successive intervals being determined by the location of the
called party. As an example, an STD call from Sydney to Perth
may receive a meter pulse every 60 seconds whilst an IDD call
to Hong Kong may receive a meter pulse every 35 seconds.
Before the introduction of the 12kHz meter
pulse system, a 50Hz metering pulse was used to operate
customer's call-charge recorders. This 50Hz longitudinal pulse
is transmitted from the telephone exchange over both legs of
the telephone line. The detection equipment at the customer's
premises depended on the provision of a low impedance earth at
the customer's premises for correct operation. Amongst other
problems, these 50Hz pulses were sometimes subject to
interference from the 50Hz 240V electricity mains and were
sometimes unreliable because of earthing problems at the
customer's site, lightning strikes or a rise in the earth
potential.
The 12kHz metering system will only work in
situations where the cable between the exchange and the
customer's premises is not conditioned i.e. does not have any
line-amplifiers, loading coils (3.4KHz maximum transmission
limit), signalling repeaters, hybrid amplifiers etc. The
maximum line limits of unconditioned cable are shown in the
following table. These limits equate to approximately 22db at
12kHz.
| Cable Gauge |
Line Length |
| 0.32 |
2.84km |
| 0.40 |
4.20km |
| 0.51 |
5.60km |
| 0.64 |
7.00km |
| 0.90 |
10.50km |
* Most Telstra exchanges now support both
the 50Hz and the 12kHz metering systems, with 12kHz meter
pulses being the preferred option.
For correct operation of the 12kHz metering
system, the addition of the 12kHz band-pass and 12kHz
band-stop filters must be fitted to the CPE circuitry. This
filter combination ensures that only 12kHz signals are passed
to the Meter Pulse Detection circuitry whilst at the same time
preventing 12kHz signals from entering the voice circuitry.
The 12kHz band-stop filter must have at least 35db attenuation
at frequencies between 11 & 13 kHz whilst at the same time
reflect the standard complex VF impedance characteristics of a
typical off-hook line condition. The 12KHz band-pass filter
should provide minimal attenuation at frequencies between 11
& 13 kHz whilst at the same time reflecting a resistive
termination impedance in the range of 200 to 400 ohms.
The switching matrix in a digital PABX/KSU
at a customers premises typically operates at a speed of 8kHz.
If the 12kHz metering pulse is allowed to interact with the
PABX/KSU 8kHz switching speed (due to incorrect design or
connection of the band-pass and band-stop filters), a 4kHz
modulated signal is generated for each 12kHz metering pulse
that is received. This causes audible noise over the
conversation and unreliable 12kHz metering detection.
Many thanks to ©
Copyright 2007 Access Communications Pty Ltd
ABN 62 002 111 659 for this explanation of the Telstra
customer line management system. |
