@vlsi.ll.mit.edu:black@micro (07/31/89)
I've just returned from a relaxing trip to a friend's cabin in central Maine, where there are still 'cottage industry' local TELCOs. This particular one, called Community Telephone Co, served a 10-mi-radius region about 20 mi W of the state capital, Augusta. Their phone directory gives the usual blather about what equal access is, but then states that only AT&T serves the region. I then called back to the Boston and Phila. areas, using my Sprint 800-877-8000 FON card method, which ordinarily gives the excellent sound quality which seems to rankle some of the AT&T hounds in the audience. Well, in this case the call did go through, but the sound quality was TERRIBLE, garbled, hissy, almost inaudible. Repeated same on AT&T, using calling card , and sound quality was very good. My question is, who carries the calls to the nearest Sprint line (in Portland?) when you originate a call in a region which they do not serve? JG Black, consultant at MIT Lincoln Lab "The real tragedy of the AT&T breakup has yet to occur, the dismantling of the finest research establishment in the USA"