Re: Newt's phone calls

[Rabid Wombat <wombat@mcfeely.bsfs.org>]

On Mon, 13 Jan 1997, Declan McCullagh wrote:

> Don't be too sure that crypto is that far beneath the radar. I spent
> Thursday through Saturday at an annual privacy conference for activists
> from around the country, and they understood the principles. Their
> voicemails were filling up with calls from reporters last Friday about the
> Gingrich incident, and I know they were talking crypto.

I happened by the Sprint display in a local office supply super-store, 
and Sprint is touting the benefits of their digital wireless phone system 
("Spectrum"). It is only available in a handful of cities outside the DC 
metro area (they list NYC as being added "early 1997", and L.A., CHI, and 
others aren't even mentioned), but there's definately a market in the making.
The cost is competetive to non-digital rates, but the geographic 
limitations are currently quite restrictive, and range appears to be limited.

"Call Privacy and Security" are listed in bold, with "Say goodbye to 
eavesdropping" right below. Don't sell the public short; even me mum 
knows her cordless phone is insecure. ;)

-r.w.