covert%covert.DEC@decwrl.dec.com (John R. Covert) (10/05/88)
MJSchmelzer and others ask about equal access for calling cards.
AT&T and the local operating companies share access to the calling card
database. Sprint has signed agreements with some Bell companies to also
have access to the database -- my latest Sprint bill had an insert telling
me to call them to see if I could use my local telephone company's calling
card when calling on Sprint.
If your default carrier is Sprint, all of your inter-LATA calls, whether
dialed 1+ or 0+ should go to Sprint. Sprint doesn't currently have automatic
entry of calling cards, but I just dialed 0+NPA-XXX-XXXX and then gave the
Sprint operator my calling card. No need to give them the number I dialed,
so the local telco is obviously providing full equal access -- it's Sprint
that doesn't have the equipment to accept a calling card number after 0+ is
dialed.
>From a payphone, you should be able to dial 10333+0+number and get a Sprint
operator and speak your calling card, call collect, or 3rd person.
Another level is supposedly coming -- 0+ from payphones will first go to the
local telco for entry of your calling card. The local telco will check the
database for your primary carrier and ship the call to the right L.D. company.
/john