lodman@ncr-sd.UUCP (03/13/87)
After experiencing a rather amusing situation last night, I have a question
about the switching system in telephones.
You telecom people, what would it take for the phone company to connect
two people who are trying to call each other and getting busy signals?
Is it even possible?
--
Michael Lodman
Advanced Development NCR Corporation E&M San Diego
mike.lodman@SanDiego.NCR.COM
{sdcsvax,cbatt,dcdwest,nosc.ARPA,ihnp4}!ncr-sd!lodmangnome@oliveb.UUCP (03/14/87)
in article <1443@ncr-sd.SanDiego.NCR.COM>, lodman@ncr-sd.SanDiego.NCR.COM (Mike Lodman) says: > > You telecom people, what would it take for the phone company to connect > two people who are trying to call each other and getting busy signals? > Is it even possible? > Michael Lodman Yes and no. I the two callers are within the same central-office or if the two CO's are linked (so that they could pass billing/routing info to each other), then the answer is yes. If the call is going through different or isolated CO's, then the answer is no. This also applies to the question "is there a box that will tell me the number of the person calling me?". Gary
steves@tektools.TEK.COM (steve shellans) (03/17/87)
In article <642@oliveb.UUCP> gnome@oliveb.UUCP (Gary) writes: > >If the call is going through different or isolated CO's, then the >answer is no. This also applies to the question "is there a box >that will tell me the number of the person calling me?". > >Gary If both phones are on the *same* CO, is it possible to have a box that will display the phone number of the calling party? Can this only be done with the cooperation of the phone company, or is there some device I can connect to my end of the phone line? Any information or pointers much appreciated. Steve Shellans Tektronix, Beaverton OR {decvax, ihnp4, wyvax, ucbvax} !tektronix!tektools!steves
straka@ihlpf.ATT.COM (Straka) (03/19/87)
> If both phones are on the *same* CO, is it possible to have a box that > will display the phone number of the calling party? Can this only be > done with the cooperation of the phone company, or is there some > device I can connect to my end of the phone line? Technology exists within telcos to transmit this kind of information from office to office (and is COMMONLY done). This is known as SIGNALLING in the business. Newer and newer methods are being used, and eventually, ISDN will be able to practically bring this signalling information to the residence. The 2B+D of the basic ISDN lines are 2 channels of 64Kbit voice/data or whatever, + one 16Kbit channel of signalling information. Don't hold your breath, since the telcos will want much assurance that you will want to pay the $$ for these kind of services before they will invest the enormous sums of money to make ISDN available for residence customers. Practically, you won't see it soon, since (even if you could handle signalling from your phone to the central office) it would require a lot of hardware and programming for old switches to provide this service. -- Rich Straka ihnp4!ihlpf!straka
henry@utzoo.UUCP (Henry Spencer) (03/20/87)
> If both phones are on the *same* CO, is it possible to have a box that > will display the phone number of the calling party? Can this only be > done with the cooperation of the phone company, or is there some > device I can connect to my end of the phone line? Variants of this question come up in mod.telecom with some regularity. The general answer is "no". To find out the number of the calling party, the phone system needs to tell your phone what it is. The phone system does not normally do this. There is no standard electronic way to ask for it. Old exchanges cannot do it at all. Modern phone exchanges are increasingly capable of doing various interesting things like this, but as I recall, this particular service isn't available except perhaps on a few experimental exchanges. (I speak here of the general phone system, not of the peculiar things that may be possible within private exchanges serving a single organization.) Even once the hardware is capable of it, I'd think it very likely that you will have to explicitly ask for it and pay for it. The phone system is under considerable pressure to keep the "basic service" charges low, which means making as much money as possible on non-basic services. -- "We must choose: the stars or Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology the dust. Which shall it be?" {allegra,ihnp4,decvax,pyramid}!utzoo!henry
stevem@fai.UUCP (04/01/87)
In article <1443@ncr-sd.SanDiego.NCR.COM> lodman@ncr-sd.UUCP (Mike Lodman) writes: >After experiencing a rather amusing situation last night, I have a question >about the switching system in telephones. > >You telecom people, what would it take for the phone company to connect >two people who are trying to call each other and getting busy signals? > >Is it even possible? > It is quite possible -- all it would take would be the software to recognize that this situation is occurring and then the connection would be established quite easily. If the feature is ever implemented, it will probably first be implemented in PBXs as all advanced features have been in the past, and then later, possibly, in Central Offices. In fact, this feature would not be that difficult to implement, all it requires is the market demand and someone will offer it. -- Steven A. Minneman (Fujitsu America Inc, San Jose, Ca) !seismo!amdahl!fai!stevem or !ihnp4!pesnta!fai!stevem The best government is no government at all.