GREEN@wharton.upenn.edu (Scott D. Green) (08/13/90)
High on the list of "Why can't (fill in your favorite TelCo) do (fill in your favorite dream feature)?" is "Why don't they connect you to the number you've just requested from DA?" Well, in Philadelphia (215) they can. Once the DA operator turns you over to The System, you are first asked to press 1 if you wish to be connected directly. For $.30. In addition to the regular DA charge. Only after It explains that option will It recite the number you've requested. You may still press 1 at that point to call. It appears to work only from within the city so far. The other change is that you must dial 1-555-1212 to reach DA now. Formerly, (and in the exchanges where this is not implemented) one could dial 1-555-xxxx. The advantage there is that if you didn't use -1212 you wouldn't be billed with the DA call. Just wondering - wouldn't this be a neat way of reaching people with unlisted numbers? They now have two categories of "unlisted:" not published in the directory but available from DA; and totally unlisted. How about a third category: not published, not available from DA, but connectable through DA? scott