Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!accuvax.nwu.edu!nucsrl!telecom-request From: John Pettitt Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: How Do I Avoid Satellite Connections? Message-ID: <1900@accuvax.nwu.edu> Date: 6 Dec 89 15:02:29 GMT Sender: news@accuvax.nwu.edu Organization: Specialix International Lines: 40 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 557, message 3 of 11 pkh%computer-science.nottingham.ac.uk@nsfnet-relay.ac.uk (Kevin Hopkins) writes: >I know it's in the wrong direction, but I believe you can use country code >89, instead of 1, to reach the US from the UK via the transatlantic cable. >Using country code 1 just picks the next channel to the US whilst 89 avoids >the satellite. I saw this on a UK newsgroup a few months back and cannot >remember who mentioned it - I don't have first hand experience and I don't >know if it still works. Can anyone shed more light on this? >BTW, country code 89 has not been assigned by CCITT. Almost right, it works like this: There are several providers of transatlantic service using both cable (copper & fiber) and satellite links. British Telecom International (BTI) routes calls by some algorythmn known only to themselves and you may get any one of the above and any one of 3 or 4 long distance providers on the US end of the link. There is a magic code that you can dial after the get out code (010) country code (1) and before the areacode-prefix-number. This code will force the call to use MCI for the US end which seems to force a fibre link across the pond most of the time (~95%). I am not going to post the code since I think it is a bug in the programming of the international switch in London and I don't want it to go away because of overuse. It's not 89. If anybody knows any more about this please post/let me know. I just spent 10 minutes on the phone to BTI trying to get some more info but it's like banging your head on the wall trying to get anybody technical. John Pettitt Specialix International jpp@specialix.co.uk