Dave_C_Henry@cup.portal.com (12/02/89)
I heard today that Bell of PA is now offering the Caller*ID feature for $6.50 per month + $50-$80 for the actual device which displays the number of the person who is calling you. I may order this service but I have a few questions first: 1) What areas do the incoming calls have to come from for the number to be displayed? Do they have to be local, from within PA, from an area that also has Caller*ID, or will every number show up? What about long distance numbers? I get most of my calls from Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Boston. I'm in Philadelphia. 2) Are there many phones on the market that will display Caller*ID information? If possible, I'd like to get a phone that would display the number rather than adding a separate box. I'd also like some information about another feature, the one which will call back the last person who called you when you press *69. How much does this cost? For some reason, I have this feature installed on my phone, yet I didn't order the service. I found out about it by accident. What kind of numbers will this service work with? (again, within the same state, local,etc.) Thanks, Dave Henry D.G.S. daveh@cup.portal.com / MCI Mail:366-2375
Dave_C_Henry@cup.portal.com (12/02/89)
I heard today that Bell of PA is now offering the Caller*ID feature for $6.50 per month + $50-$80 for the actual device which displays the number of the person who is calling you. I may order this service but I have a few questions first: 1) What areas do the incoming calls have to come from for the number to be displayed? Do they have to be local, from within PA, from an area that also has Caller*ID, or will every number show up? What about long distance numbers? I get most of my calls from Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Boston. I'm in Philadelphia. 2) Are there many phones on the market that will display Caller*ID information? If possible, I'd like to get a phone that would display the number rather than adding a separate box. I'd also like some information about another feature, the one which will call back the last person who called you when you press *69. How much does this cost? For some reason, I have this feature installed on my phone, yet I didn't order the service. I found out about it by accident. What kind of numbers will this service work with? (again, within the same state, local,etc.) Thanks, Dave Henry D.G.S. daveh@cup.portal.com / MCI Mail:366-2375
dave@uunet.uu.net (Dave Levenson) (12/03/89)
In article <1758@accuvax.nwu.edu>, Dave_C_Henry@cup.portal.com writes: ...regarding caller-id > 1) What areas do the incoming calls have to come from for the number > to be displayed? The call must be from a telephone served by a central office which participates in the SS7 network. That includes many 1ESS and 1A-ESS switches. Here in NJ, it excludes the newer 5ESS switches, at present. Also, it only works intra-lata. Calls from outside your LATA will probably be identified only as "OUT OF AREA". > 2) Are there many phones on the market that will display Caller*ID > information? If possible, I'd like to get a phone that would display > the number rather than adding a separate box. I have been looking for something like this. I expect to see them as the service becomes more widespread, but I haven't seen one yet. > I'd also like some information about another feature, the one which > will call back the last person who called you when you press *69. ... > What kind of numbers will this service work with? (again, > within the same state, local,etc.) Same as caller-id. It will let you call back anyone who called you, as long as the call was intra-lata, and intra SS7 network. Incidentally, this followup represents the state of this technology as implemented by NJ bell as the posting date. This is an evolving technology, and I would expect it to change in several ways: The SS7 network will gradually encompass more of the local switching systems, and therefore there won't be the large 'holes' in the coverage area we have now. Perhaps the information will be carried by the inter-lata carriers, and will be able to deliver calling numbers on inter-lata calls, as well as local ones. Your telco may do things differently from NJ Bell. Dave Levenson Voice: (201) 647 0900 Westmark, Inc. Internet: dave@westmark.uu.net Warren, NJ, USA UUCP: {uunet | rutgers | att}!westmark!dave [The Man in the Mooney] AT&T Mail: !westmark!dave
deej@bellcore.bellcore.com> (12/05/89)
In article <1758@accuvax.nwu.edu>, Dave_C_Henry@cup.portal.com writes: > I heard today that Bell of PA is now offering the Caller*ID feature ... > I have a few questions first: > 1) What areas do the incoming calls have to come from for the number > to be displayed? Do they have to be local, from within PA, from an > area that also has Caller*ID, or will every number show up? What about > long distance numbers? I get most of my calls from Baltimore, > Pittsburgh and Boston. I'm in Philadelphia. (sigh). I really oughta put this in a file and just copy it when the question comes up... (but will I? Probably not...) For Caller*ID information to be displayed, assuming you have subscribed to Caller*ID and have the Caller*ID box (and therefore your CO is equipped with the appropriate hardware and software), one of the following must be true: 1. The caller must be calling from a phone subtending the same CO you do; 2. The caller must be calling from a phone subtending a CO which is equipped with SS7 (common channel signaling system #7), which is in the same LATA as your CO. (At some time in the future (beyond 1991), when Interexchange Carrier SS7 interconnection is available, add:) 3. The caller must be calling from a phone subtending a CO which is equipped with SS7, run by a telco which has SS7 connectivity with the caller's IC, which has SS7 connectivity at the appropriate tandem switches, and has SS7 connectivity to your telco. Simple, hey? In practical terms: Today, you would get the calling number from calls inside your LATA (in the philly area, generally local calls), from COs which are SS7-connected (not intuitively obvious which are, but generally some reasonably high percentage of "major" COs in the LATA will be SS7-connected before a telco will offer CLASS). You would not get calling number from Pittsburgh, Baltimore, or Boston. At some point in the future -- but not before mid-1991, most likely -- you would start getting some calling number delivery from outside your LATA. There are so many variables involved that I won't even *try* to predict where you would and would not get delivery.... save to say that Pittsburgh would be your best bet (Bell of PA), followed by Baltimore (C&P of Maryland, different telco but part of Bell Atlantic) followed by Boston (different Regional Company -- NYNEX). David G Lewis ...!bellcore!nvuxr!deej (@ Bellcore Navesink Research & Engineering Center) "If this is paradise, I wish I had a lawnmower."