TELECOM@Usc-Eclb (08/19/82)
TELECOM AM Digest Thursday, 19 August 1982 Volume 2 : Issue 106
Today's Topics: Hand-Crank And Dial-Less Phones
Dialing Calling Card Calls
More On Auto-Bill Calling
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Date: 17 Aug 1982 2014-PDT
From: Zellich at OFFICE-3 (Rich Zellich)
Subject: Hand-crank and dial-less phones
About 5 years ago, I pulled off the main highway across the Mojave
desert between LA and Needles to phone in a trouble report for another
motorist, and had to crank the phone to get the operator's attention.
After the call was completed, I had to crank again to alert her, after
which she asked the phone number of the pay phone. I looked all over,
until finally the gas station attendant came over and pointed the
plainly-posted phone number out to me. I hadn't realized what it was,
because their phone number was "7"!
It's nice to see such anachronisms still in use...I occasionally
wonder if they still have the same system in use.
-Rich
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Date: 18 Aug 1982 1103-EDT
From: John R. Covert <RSX-DEV at DEC-MARLBORO>
Subject: Dialing calling card calls
Someone recently suggested flashing at Auto-Bill-Calling to get an
operator (that works, but so does pressing the "0" button, which is
why my credit card, which used to start with "0", now starts with
"6"). But why not use it? You can dial in your number faster than
you can give it to an operator.
Also, as has been pointed out before, AT&T wanted to charge a really
low rate for calling card calls, but their competitors pointed out to
the FCC that only a small percentage of the calls would be handled
automatically, and thus the credit card rate should be closer to the
operator assisted rate. The FCC will monitor the data on what percen-
tage of credit card calls are actually self dialed and will authorize
AT&T to charge the lower rate they would prefer when the data shows
that actual operator assisted calls aren't subsidizing credit card
calls. The only thing you do by demanding operator assistance is
force everyone to pay a higher rate longer.
A calling card call is a calling card call is a calling card call.
The rate is the same whether you dial the card yourself or give it to
an operator. Although some operators may claim that you have to pay a
higher rate if they dial it, they are full of baloney. Except on pay
phones (where you get a recording telling you what to do) all that
happens is the special tone comes on. Unless you've gotten the bill
insert and read it, you won't know what to do.
The following are example credit card surcharges:
Interstate calls: 0-10 miles 0.60
11-22 miles 0.80
22-up miles 1.05
(remember AT&T wanted to charge 0.50)
Intrastate calls:
Massachusetts 0.45
New Hampshire 0.30
New York 0.40
Georgia 0.30
Virginia no new rate, op asst rates still apply
Connecticutt varies by distance, e.g. 0.41 or 0.47
New Jersey no new rate, op asst rates still apply
Pennsylvania varies by distance, e.g. 0.91 or 1.03
Ohio no new rate, op asst rates still apply
Texas 0.35
California 0.40
Minnesota 0.25 above day rate, but first minute
always charged at day rate
And remember, a rate changes somewhere every day.
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Date: 18 Aug 1982 1126-EDT
From: John R. Covert <RSX-DEV at DEC-MARLBORO>
Subject: More on Auto-Bill Calling
I just noticed that it wasn't working on my home phone. The business
office claims it should, and told me to call repair service. Oh
boy... repair service doesn't know how to fix anything other than
frayed cords.
Obviously the reason it doesn't work is that the data base shows that
I have rotary service. I suppose it is equally likely that the data
base could show that I have Touch-Tone service if I didn't. Or what
about the customer who has Touch-Tone service, but has a candlestick
phone in one room of the house. Credit card calls should not (and do
not) cost more from a phone obtained from the phone company.
Rumor has it (and I mean rumor) that they are looking at a way to
recognize and count the SOUNDS of the dial pulse clicks coming in over
the line.
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End of TELECOM Digest
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