floyd@ims.alaska.edu (Floyd Davidson) (01/10/91)
In article <15923@accuvax.nwu.edu> CAPEK%YKTVMT.BITNET@cunyvm.cuny.edu (Peter G. Capek) writes: >What are the legal restrictions, if any, on an Inter-Exchange Carrier >providing service within a LATA, normally the province of a Local >Exchange Carrier? When I try to force a call via AT&T, for example to >a number which is near where I'm calling from, I get a message about >the call not being able to be completed. (I tried this by dialing >10288-0-914-762-xxxx). I ask because if there is in fact some legal >restriction, what effect does it have on completing 800 calls which >happen to originate in the same LATA as the 800 number terminates? >(Same question could be asked for 900 numbers..) Unless there are local (state) restrictions there really are none. However... Listen to the intercept recording you get when you try that until the end where it should give a number, like "9075". If you get some number starting with your area code (or for that matter, any area code) then you are being blocked by the toll switch. Local exchange switches may not have any identification on the recording or may send you to a "fast busy" signal. I suspect you will find that the local switch is intercepting the call. Normally toll switches don't block anything that can be completed, including toll calls right back to your own local exchange! That particular feature may in fact be blocked, however. (People with fat fingers actually dial it that way and then complain about it.) I know of a number of cases where local calls between different switches can be completed by dialing long distance, and yet in the same area there are others that are blocked by the local line switches. The Fairbanks Municipal Utilities System blocks toll calls to ALL other local switches. Most of the other line switchers in the area do not. The calls cost something like 11 cents for the first minute at evening rates. And if you do get a "9075", as I mentioned above, at the end of the intercept ... its Fairbanks. Floyd L. Davidson 98 Salcha, AK 99714 bpaycheck connection to Alascom, Inc. When I speak for them, one of us will be *out* of business in a hurry.
dave@westmark.westmark.com (Dave Levenson) (01/11/91)
In article <15923@accuvax.nwu.edu>, CAPEK%YKTVMT.BITNET (Peter G. Capek) writes: [ an article about using inter-LATA carriers for intra-LATA calls ] > [Moderator's Note: Telecom*USA uses 'area code' 700 for this purpose. > Dial 700 + number in your own area code to make a local call billed > via Telecom*USA instead of Illinois Bell. Don't ask me how they > legally get away with it. PAT] In NJ, all of the inter-LATA carriers except AT&T provide intra-LATA service. We can use 10xxx plus the home area code and local number, unless xxx happens to be 288 (AT&T). I'm not sure why AT&T choses not to do this, or is prevented from doing it. The MCI rates for calls within NJ are often less than those of NJ Bell, for calls just beyond one's local calling area. They are almost always less than the sent-paid rate from public coin phones. Their 'around town' service allows credit-card calls from phones in the local area without the card surcharge, which definitely beats the price of the NJ Bell IQ-Card! Dave Levenson Internet: dave@westmark.com Westmark, Inc. UUCP: {uunet | rutgers | att}!westmark!dave Warren, NJ, USA AT&T Mail: !westmark!dave Voice: 908 647 0900 Fax: 908 647 6857