telecom@ucbvax.ARPA (09/09/84)
From: Jon Solomon (the Moderator) <Telecom-Request@MIT-MC>
TELECOM Digest Sunday, 9 Sep 1984 Volume 4 : Issue 83
Today's Topics:
Determining your own phone number
Re: TELECOM Digest V4 #82
International Calls and the Break-up
Speculation: International Routing
The funny machine that gives you your number back...
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Date: Fri, 7 Sep 84 18:49:19 PDT
From: Matthew J Weinstein <matt@UCLA-LOCUS.ARPA>
Subject: Determining your own phone number
[Number, pleeease?]
Some cities have special codes reserved to identify the number you are
calling from (I recall PacBell having *3 (113) a few years back).
The low tech solution is to call the operator and ask for the number
you're calling from. The operators generally have this info, and they
will often provide it to you. If they don't, try another operator.
- Matt
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Date: Fri 7 Sep 84 23:19:44-EDT
From: MLY.G.PCLH%MIT-OZ@MIT-MC.ARPA
Subject: Re: TELECOM Digest V4 #82
In the massachusetts area there is a easier way to find out the
number you are calling from.
Dial "2002222222" Then you will get a voice telling you what number
you are calling from.
Pete...
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Date: 08-Sep-1984 0112
From: covert%castor.DEC@decwrl.ARPA (John Covert)
Subject: International Calls and the Break-up
Until you get equal access, nothing changes.
Once you get equal access, if you do nothing, you get the local
company's default for unspecified users, which is almost always AT&T,
though it could be anything, as long as 1+ can get you to anywhere,
and 0+ can also get you to anywhere.
A company COULD make 1+ and 0+ do nothing, but it is unlikely that any
local company would do that, at least not yet. New subscribers may
begin to actually declare which carrier is primary at the time the
line is ordered. You may be allowed "no-pick" -- I've seen a phone
with no-pick. With no-pick, each call has to be preceeded by a 10xxx
to select the carrier.
At the moment, it's pretty much AT&T's ball game with respect to
overseas. The local C.O.s know that other carriers don't offer
overseas, and so 011+ goes to a recording in the local C.O., telling
you that the number you've called can't be made with the carrier you
have dialed.
Except for MCI. MCI is close to offering service to Luxembourg. So
MCI gets handed any 011+. They give you a recording which says "MCI
does not presently serve the country you are calling, but plans to
soon. Please dial 10288 011 plus the international number of the
person you are calling." I suppose if more than one other carrier
were offering service they might not be able to point you at AT&T like
that. They also provide that message for countries they are UNLIKELY
to serve any time in the near future.
If you choose any carrier other than AT&T, you can expect odd things
to happen, potentially inconsistently from place to place, any time
you dial a service they don't offer. But you can always select the
carrier of your choice.
An interesting attribute right now is that of the seven or so carriers
operating in D.C. at the moment, SBS is the only one which checks to
see if you are signed up with them already, and denies you access if
not. MCI has arranged billing agreements with some operating
companies, so that if you dial an MCI call with 10222 or by
designating MCI as your primary carrier, you'll get your bill for MCI
service right with your regular telephone bill.
All the others which let calls go through must plan on using the
opportunity to sign users up. I'm not sure if they'll be able to get
a phone number to subscriber translation out of the operating company
if they don't have a billing arrangement, but they could probably get
the info if someone runs up a big bill and can't be contacted by phone
to sign up.
Interesting times ahead!
/john
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Date: 7 Sep 1984 2225 PDT
From: Harris B. Edelman <HEDELMAN@JPL-VLSI.ARPA>
Subject: Speculation: International Routing
Reply-to: HEDELMAN@JPL-VLSI.ARPA
Bear in mind that the world telephone region codes were determined,
more or less unilaterally, by AT&T some years back. You care to make
any guesses as to who might make the most concerted push for selection
as the default international carrier? (You were perhaps hoping for
someone other than Old Mother Phone?)
BTW, while on the subject of world region codes, the 1+ now so widely
used in North America for toll switch access is no coincidence; 1 just
happens to be the N.A. region code.
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Date: 8-Sep-84 7: 5:32 EDT
From: James A. Dorf <cd001kmm%BostonU.BITNET@Berkeley>
Subject: The funny machine that gives you your number back...
------ Simply dialing "220" seems to work on all the ESS machines I've
come across in Boston.. The 1(200)555-1212 hack seems to work nearly
everywhere (and maybe even in N.J.!) /jad
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End of TELECOM Digest
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