jeffj@uunet.uu.net (11/01/90)
More news from the AT&T newsline +1 800 2ATT NOW
The AT&T Language Line Services is now available to consumers (it used
to be for police, hospital and emergency use only). They will
translate on line to "virtually any language and dialect", and even
translate printed material. On line costs .50 per minute (10 per
hour!), billed to any major credit card (Visa, Mastercard, American
Express).
in the USA: +1 800 628 8486
information: +1 800 752 6096
outside of the USA: either call USA direct and ask for AT&T Language
Line Service orr call +1 408 648-5871
I'm posting this because there may be some occasion a telecom reader
may want to contact somebody in a language they don't speak. If you
don't know to ask for this service, you won't know what to do!
The same for my previous postings about the TDD relay service.
There's no reason NOT to contact someone because they're deaf or don't
speak the same language. (what about a deaf person who understands
only a foreign language - will the relay service and translation
cooperate? Is the translation service equipped and trained to use
TDD/e-mail/telex?) I dunno - I'm just acting as a messenger!
I don't work for AT&T. I just observe the industry and try to
understand the technology. It's nice to see that AT&T is providing
services that really let you "reach out and touch someone" regardless
of location, language, hearing or speaking ability. Perhaps they're
understanding that there's more to a phone call than just providing an
audio path.
Jeffrey Jonas jeffj@synsys.uucp synsys!jeffj@uunet.uu.net
[Moderator's Note: Maybe this is also the reason some of us insist on
staying with AT&T as our long distance carrier: If you want quality
and extra service, you pay a little more. It is worth every nickle!
And of course as time goes on, we are finding out AT&T really isn't
that much more, considering the services they offer. PAT]