CRW@icf.hrb.com (Craig R. Watkins) (10/03/90)
A month or so ago, I made up a form to check compliance of COCOT's in
PA. It contains the things that I normally check. I was planning on
testing it and running it by the PUC first before posting it, but I've
gotten caught up in the CA postings, so here it is with the warning
that it hasn't been used, may be inaccurate, may be a misrepresentation
of the appropriate citings, etc.
The thing that the COCOTs hate the most in PA is the "free local DA"
requirement -- they have to pay for it.
Phone number posted ____________________ (if missing, violation of 63.94.i.2)
Location _________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
Free directory assistance? ___Yes ___No (violation of 63.94.a)
Free 800 service ___Yes ___No (violation of 63.94.e)
Dialing instructions posted (63.94.i.1)
Local directory assistance ___Yes ___No ___ Incorrect
Long distance directory assist ___Yes ___No ___ Incorrect
Long distance dialing ___Yes ___No ___ Incorrect
Local dialing ___Yes ___No ___ Incorrect
Accept incoming calls ___Yes ___Doesn't Ring ___No number listed
If not, is this posted ___Yes ___No (violation of 63.94.i.3)
Minimum of 10 min. for initial charge? ___min ___Yes ___No (violation of
63.97.e)
Citings from: Title 52. Public Utilties
Part I. Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission
Subpart C. Fixed Service Utilities
Chapter 63. Telephone Service
Subchapter G. Public Coin Telephone Servicejoel%uiucuxc@uunet.uu.net (Joel Upchurch) (10/15/90)
Another couple of things to consider for your COCOT checklist:
1. Does it try to charge you for long distance for local calls?
I was trying to make a call from a local call from a pay phone at a
shopping center and it asked me to deposit an additional dollar before
it would complete the call. I tried it again and it said the same
thing. I spotted a another pay phone on the other side of the parking
lot and walked over to it. It was a Southern Bell phone. I made the
call from there, without any additional extortion.
2. Does it comply with equal access requirements?
When I tried to use 10ATT from a pay phone at Nashville airport it
didn't work. When I asked the operator to connect me with an AT&T
operator, the operator said that this was a private phone company and
they weren't required to connect me to the long distance carrier of my
choice. I mentioned FCC equal access requirements and the operator
replied that they didn't have to connect me to an AT&T operator, but
they would make an exception this one time.
Joel Upchurch/Upchurch Computer Consulting/718 Galsworthy/Orlando, FL 32809
joel@peora.ccur.com {uiucuxc,hoptoad,petsd,ucf-cs}!peora!joel (407) 859-0982CRW@icf.hrb.com (Craig R. Watkins) (10/17/90)
In article <13593@accuvax.nwu.edu>, Joel Upchurch <peora.ccur.com! joel%uiucuxc@uunet.uu.net> writes: > Another couple of things to consider for your COCOT checklist: > 1. Does it try to charge you for long distance for local calls? From memory, I believe that the PA regulation is that the COCOT may not charge more than the tarrifed amount. Never had problems with that in this area, but then again, I avoid the suckers as much as possible. > 2. Does it comply with equal access requirements? This is an interesting point. My checklist was designed as a form for the PA PUC. From the regs that I read, I got the impression that PA doesn't have specific equal access regulations for COCOTs (although they might have been in a section that I didn't have a copy of). Craig R. Watkins Internet: CRW@ICF.HRB.COM HRB Systems, Inc. Bitnet: CRW%HRB@PSUECL.Bitnet +1 814 238-4311 UUCP: ...!psuvax1!hrbicf!crw