djcl@uunet.uu.net (woody) (08/19/90)
Alex Pournelle mentioned the use of lasers to bridge the Detroit-Windsor frontier ... it does cost a bit of coin just to phone across the creek either way. I wouldn't be surprised to see some folks try telecommunications with those 100 mW walkie-talkies on 40 MHz.... In any case, there was a Buffalo number set up by some Canadian satellite dealers in order to allow satellite dish owners access to U.S. 800 numbers. Dialing the (716) xxx.xxxx number would get a dial tone; using a tone pad, the 800 number for the U.S. would be dialed, bypassing the Canadian restrictions (but at the cost of a call to Buffalo). This is apparently no longer in service, though. Are there any numbers out there that allow access to 800 numbers by bypassing zone restrictions? Or is this a job for 1 900 STOPPER, the service that allows Caller ID bypass at $2/min? It might be interesting for some of the LD carriers to provide an area bypass service (at long distance cost) to get at 800 numbers, especially where the regular phone number was not known or available. [Moderator's Note: I'd rather not publish the *actual numbers*, you understand, since this is a family Digest and I'd like to remain here with my in-laws and my cats. Correspond direct with Woody, please. PAT]