Telecom forDummies

by Stephen P. Olejniczak

Published by

Wiley Publishing, Inc.
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Copyright © 2006 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana

Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana

Published simultaneously in Canada

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2005937358

ISBN-13: 978-0-471-77085-5

ISBN-10: 0-471-77085-X

Manufactured in the United States of America

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About the Author

Stephen Olejniczak (pronounced ole-en-ee-check) is the Director of Operations for ATI Communications, and has over ten years of telecom experience under his belt. His initial job in telecom was provisioning data services, eventually taking a position as the customer service manager for a small long-distance company, and finally as its manager of dedicated provisioning.

Stephen did not start out in life as a techie, only falling prey to the glamour and easy money after failing to find a career that enabled him to use his Bachelors degree in Cultural Anthropology. He currently lives in the quaint hamlet of Laguna Beach, California, with his wife, Kayley, and a collection of fountain pens.

Dedication

This book is dedicated to the entire telecom industry. From the CEOs of large carriers to everyone that supplies, sells, or uses phone service (I guess that is everyone in the world), I give you this tome of information. The primary group in the industry to whom I dedicate this book are those new employees who have just entered the wild world of telecom. The learning curve in telecom is vertical for at least the first six months, and it is easy to feel over-whelmed. Don’t let anyone talk down to you, because we all started out knowing nothing.

Author’s Acknowledgments

The greatest motivation and support for this book came from my beautiful wife, Kayley. I am glad that it is complete and we can now travel again.

This book would not be completed if it weren’t for the guidance of my Wiley editor, Nicole Haims, who took through the entire process. I must also acknowledge the great work put forward by my technical editor, Frank Piotrowski, who validated everything I wrote, down to the molecular level. Additional props to Kezia Endsley for copyediting assistance. I also received invaluable input from Brady Kirby, of Atlas VoIP Communications, as well as my friends, Chris Lynch and Carl, who kept me on track and running in the data sections. These are only a handful of the brilliant people I have spoken with over the years, from whom I have extracted valuable information that was quickly used to mentor my employees and customers.

Finally, I must give thanks to every customer, salesperson, and coworker who asked me the same questions over and over (and over) again. I wasn’t praising you after we chatted at 3:30 a.m. on a Saturday because you wanted to know the country code for Sierra Leone, but now I realize you have given me the depth and breadth of information necessary to write this book.

Publisher’s Acknowledgments

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Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:

Acquisitions, Editorial, and Media Development

Project Editor
Nicole Haims

Copy Editor
Kezia Endsley

Acquisitions Editor
Melody Layne

Technical Editor
Frank Piotrowski

Editorial Manager
Jodi Jensen

Media Development Manager
Laura VanWinkle

Editorial Assistant
Amanda Foxworth

Cartoons
Rich Tennant (www.the5thwave.com)

Composition

Project Coordinator
Adrienne Martinez

Layout and Graphics
Carl Byers
Andrea Dahl
Lynsey Osborn

Proofreaders
Leeann Harney
Joe Niesen
Jessica Kramer, TECHBOOKS Production Services

Indexer
TECHBOOKS Production Services

Publishing and Editorial for Technology Dummies

Richard Swadley, Vice President and Executive Group Publisher

Andy Cummings, Vice President and Publisher

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Mary C. Corder, Editorial Director

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Diane Graves Steele, Vice President and Publisher

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