[comp.dcom.telecom] Reason for Cellular roamer ports going off hook before call complete

ghg@en.ecn.purdue.edu (George Goble) (12/02/88)

In article <telecom-v08i0188m01@vector.UUCP>, I wrote:
>A couple of years ago, the roamer ports used to not go off hook until
>the cell phone answered, but the operating companies (not the cell companies)
>bitched so much, that they were changed into going off hook before
>entering the roamer number.  I have recently talked to 3 cellular salesman,

I just got off the phone with John Covert.  He had information which
said that ATT (when they went to #4 ESS toll switches) was the cause
of the roamer ports going off hook.  The #4 ESS only allows a one-way
connection until the remote end goes off hook.  This was designed
to stop "black boxing" toll fraud and misinstalled PBX's which
did not always go off hook on DID trunks. It also messed up intercept
operators. I will certainly pass this tidbit on to my sources in GTE.

--ghg