telecom@eecs.nwu.edu (TELECOM Moderator) (07/19/89)
The new genre of smart features are being phased in by Illinois Bell Telephone beginning September 30. Automatic callback to the last connection; call identification in the form of distinctive ringing with up to three distinct phone numbers per line; call blocking of unwanted calls and home intercom are the features being added. They have been offered on a trial basis in the Hyde Park office for the past several months. They will be available in most south side exchanges beginning in October, and throughout other areas of the city early in 1990. The suburbs will be equipped during the summer of 1990. They are *not* offering calling party ID at this time. These additional features are being offered at an average price of $5 each per month. A discount will be given to people taking all of them. In the case of distinctive ringing (what they are calling call identification), the cost of one additional number parked on your line is $4.85 per month. The cost of two additional numbers is $8.90. If you wish, you can also have calling cards issued on those numbers to provide a sort of internal billing and accounting of long distance calls by family members, etc. Patrick Townson
john@apple.com (John Higdon) (07/24/89)
In article <telecom-v09i0246m02@vector.dallas.tx.us>, telecom@eecs.nwu.edu (TELECOM Moderator) writes: > The new genre of smart features are being phased in by Illinois Bell > Telephone beginning September 30. Automatic callback to the last connection; > call identification in the form of distinctive ringing with up to three > distinct phone numbers per line; call blocking of unwanted calls and home > intercom are the features being added. But once again, Pacific Bell seems to be the industry laggard. No mention anywhere of CLASS features, on a trial basis or otherwise, for customers of Pac*Bell. On the one hand I can see why PB is so non-progressive. They are constantly faced with the likes of Sylvia Seigel, whose "consumer" organization feels that anything more than a black rotary phone is excessive and campaigns actively against *any* modernization of Pac*Bell facilities. But on the other hand, it has always seemed as though every single user feature or convenience has become commonplace in the rest of the country before Californians even hear about it. While 976 was going relatively smoothly everywhere else, it has been completely botched in California. Consumers are unhappy; providers are unhappy; even Pac*Bell says they're unhappy (and they created the mess!) I remember reading about ESS offices being installed in Illinois in the late 50's; The first ones in California--the late 60's. Touch tone was available in Laurenburg, NC (of all places) in 1965. In San Jose--1969. Pac*Bell didn't become fully equal access until 1987. Living with a backwards operating company is quaint, but extremely frustrating. -- John Higdon | P. O. Box 7648 | +1 408 723 1395 john@zygot.uucp | San Jose, CA 95150 | M o o ! [Moderator's Note: Illinois Bell has always been a very progressive and forward-looking company. I had touch-tone on my home phones in 1968. The 1950's ESS you refer to was in Morris, IL where it was an experimental thing for several years; however the first ESS in Chicago came in 1972 when the Chicago-Illinois/Dearborn and Chicago-Superior offices were converted. In 1973-74 the downtown area was converted to ESS, beginning with Chicago-Wabash, where I had ESS on my WEbster-9 (939) office phone sixteen years ago. The coversion was completed in 1984. The CO serving my home phones, Chicago-Rogers Park was about the last CO in the area to be converted. Illinois Bell is now one hundred percent ESS. In Monday's Digest, an article by Kevin McConnaughey discusses the almost universal presence of Sprint in the United States. In the space of just little more than a decade, a remarkable network indeed. PT]