Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!mailrus!accuvax.nwu.edu!nucsrl!telecom-request From: john@zygot.ati.com (John Higdon) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: 10XXX From Pay Phones Message-ID: <1773@accuvax.nwu.edu> Date: 3 Dec 89 18:27:39 GMT Sender: news@accuvax.nwu.edu Organization: Green Hills and Cows Lines: 33 Approved: Telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 9, Issue 549, message 6 of 7 In article , 0003962594@ mcimail.com (Eric Swenson) writes: > If I walk up to a pay telephone and want to make a call (local or > otherwise, same area code or different) without depositing coins, > shouldn't I be able to dial 10777-0-[AC]-XXX-XXXX, get a BOING, and, > assuming I have a U.S. SPRINT FONCARD, be able to dial my FONCARD > number and complete my call? Isn't this part of what > equal access was supposed to provide? You are confusing equal access with equal service. Equal access only provides that the local operating companies provide equivalent connection opportunities to each long distance carrier. Which ones they choose to use (FGA, FGB, FGD) and what service they choose to provide when connected is entirely in their hands. Just because AT&T goes ka-bong at home and at pay phones and their card works equally well doesn't mean that Sprint has chosen to provide the same service. Any long distance carrier can now offer (if it so chooses) coin-pay service just like AT&T, but that still seems to be an AT&T exclusive. You have actually hit on one of my major gripes with the AT&T competitors. We heard so much hoopla about the importance of getting the local telcos upgraded for equal access and now that they have it for the most part (even here), they aren't doing anything but providing the most basic service. What they really wanted was that "dial 1" default capability so they could be assured of reliable revenue. John Higdon | P. O. Box 7648 | +1 408 723 1395 john@zygot.ati.com | San Jose, CA 95150 | M o o !