covert@covert.enet.dec.com (John R. Covert 07-Mar-1991 1939) (03/09/91)
Steve Pershing asks: > Since many telcos (at least here in NorthAm) charge extra for > Touch-Tone dialling, I wonder if cellular users couldn't request > rotary dialling to reduce their charges? :-) Why not? :-) Because North American cellular phones do not use Touch-Tone. Although most phones have a Touch-Tone pad built in to the phone for use after the connection is established, the keypad on the phone does not send Touch-Tone to the cellular switch. Communications with the switch for signalling and control is done over a modem channel. > Moderator's Note: Rotary dial will NOT work on cellular phones, since > there is no loop of wire to be opened and closed by the pulsing. Rotary dial worked just fine on IMTS mobile phones; this was accomplished by causing each dial pulse to be transmitted as a short tone, interpreted and counted by the IMTS mobile switch. john