Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!netsys!vector!telecom-gateway From: apple!zygot!john@decwrl.dec.com (John Higdon) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: Overseas Collect Calls Message-ID: Date: 27 Jun 89 07:12:41 GMT Sender: news@vector.Dallas.TX.US Organization: ATI Wares Team Lines: 29 Approved: telecom-request@vector.dallas.tx.us X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@vector.dallas.tx.us X-TELECOM-Digest: volume 9, issue 217, message 6 of 10 In article , nsc!woolsey@decwrl.dec. com (Jeff Woolsey) writes: > Some public telephone lines are set up to disable incoming calls, but > this would not be a good idea in this application. Since it is a real > business line, the owner might actually want to accept collect calls > when answering the phone, so it is a little presumptuous of the operator > to make this determination beforehand. At least with Pac*Bell (and I assume elsewhere) there is a database which handles "called number screening". When you place an operator assisted call on Pac*Bell or AT&T, this database is automatically checked. If you are trying to place a collect call to a coin phone, it shows on the operator console as "collect denied" and he/she *cannot* override it. I have collect and third-number-billing screening on my home phone(s) and if someone tries to call me collect, the operator will say "I'm sorry, this number does not accept collect calls." Same if you try to bill a call to my number. Pac*Bell customers can call their business office and get this screening free of charge. The front line response is denial and run-around, but if you press it you can get it. BTW, it is this database which made possible the assignment of ordinary numbers to coin telephones. It California, they used to be of the form NNX-9XXX, but now they can be anything at all. Oh, try calling me collect; my number is below. :-) -- John Higdon | P. O. Box 7648 | +1 408 723 1395 john@zygot.uucp | San Jose, CA 95150 | M o o !