mgrant@cos.com (Michael Grant) (11/23/88)
I am involved in a trial for remote call forwarding in my area. Bell Atlantic calls the service "Ultra-Forwarding". It allows me to dial a number that answers with a computer voice, (sounds like a DEC-Talk). The conversation goes like this: I dial the remote access number which is a local number. It answers and says: "This is your remote access service, please use a touch tone telephone only, you may now dial your home or office phone that has remote acces service please dial now." I dial my home phone number. "The number you have dialed is nnn-nnnn, if this is correct, dial your personal identification number if this is not correct dial the asterisk (*) and enter a new number number." I type my 4 digit PIN number. "To active call forwarding dial 72#, to deactiveate call forwarding dial 73#. Please dial a feature code now." (It pronounces the # as "number sign".) I dial 72# "You have accessed the call fowarding activation feature, to confirm this feature dial 1, to try a new feature dial 0 and another feature code." 1 "This is your call forwarding service please dial the number to which you want your calls forwarded, if you must dial a 1 or an area code to reach the number from your home or office then do so." I dial the number I want my calls forwarded to. "Your calls will be forwared to nnn-nnnn if this is correct dial 1 if this is not correct dial 0 and enter a new number." 1 "Your request is being processed, please hold....please hold....please hold....please hold....your calls will now be forwarded. You may hang up or dial another feature code now." I hung up. Currently the service is free as long as I have call forwarding. It's only available on certain exchanges in my area at the moment. This all started when I order call forwarding and said, "boy, I sure wish there was a way to remotely forward/unforward my phone". The customer service person told me that there was in certain areas. She proceeded to get me into the trial. She did not know how much the service would cost when it is actually marketed. -Mike Grant
Ken Jongsma <jongsma@esseye.si.com> (06/10/91)
Forwarding telephone calls is a great way to stay in touch when you head out of town, but it has one big drawback: In most places, you must enter the forwarding number from your own home or office phone. That's a problem if you don't know that number until you arrive at your new destination. Now, more phone companies are beginning to offer "remote access to call forwarding," which lets you punch in a forwarding number from any telephone. Within the past few months, Southwestern Bell Corp. began offering the service in Austin, Tex.; Bell Atlantic Corp. started it in the Maryland suburbs of Washington; and BellSouth Corp. introduced it throughout North and South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. It's not exactly a technology breakthrough: Centel Corp. has offered it Las Vegas since around 1985. But Centel charges $15 a month- far more than the Bells. Southwestern Bell, for instance, is charging residential customers $1.50 a month for remote access, plus $2.10 a month for basic call forwarding. Ken Jongsma ken@wybbs.mi.org Smiths Industries jongsma@esseye.si.com Grand Rapids, Michigan 73115.1041@compuserve.com [Moderator's Note: But SW Bell had a *major* problem in St. Louis last week affecting a few thousand data lines. A special mailing from the Digest late Sunday night will go out with full details. PAT]