[comp.dcom.telecom] Would That COCOTs Had This

kam@dlogics.com (Kevin A. Mitchell) (03/23/91)

I made a call from a pay phone outside the Harlem and Lake EL station
in Forest Park (Chicago suburb) today. The Illinois Bell phone had new
instruction cards that had the following on them:

o Names of local and long distance carriers (IBT and AT&T) with address
and 800 number for complaints.

o A statement stating that you could use an access code to get your own
long distance carrier.

o The address of the appropriate folks at the FCC to send complaints of
regulatory violations to, in red type no less!

I bet a lot of folks see this, and remember it the next time they get
stuck with a COCOT. I don't expect many complaints to the FCC about a
Bell payphone, but basically, they've told the public where to
complain about everybody else's!


Kevin A. Mitchell         (312) 266-4485
Datalogics, Inc           Internet: kam@dlogics.UUCP
441 W. Huron              UUCP: ..!uunet!dlogics!kam
Chicago, IL  60610        FAX: (312) 266-4473


[Moderator's Note: The payphones in our office had these new cards
installed on them a couple weeks ago. They are really sharp looking,
and explain very clearly how to make complaints, etc.    PAT]

smk@attunix.att.com (S M Krieger) (03/24/91)

(About an Illinois Bell phone)

> A statement stating that you could use an access code to get your own
> long distance carrier.

What I've seen on some COCOTs lately is a statement to the effect that
if I want to use a different Long Distance company, I should contact
that company for instructions (BTW, does that mean the keyboard won't
be disabled on 1-800 and 950 numbers?).

Anyway, the instructions my long distance company gave me was to push
10-ATT-0 before the area code and number, but that doesn't work, so
now what?


Stan Krieger                     All opinions, advice, or suggestions, even
AT&T UNIX System Laboratories    if related to my employment, are my own and
Summit, NJ                       do not represent any public or private
att!attunix!smk                  policies of my employer.