Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!mailrus!accuvax.nwu.edu!nucsrl!telecom-request From: wb8foz@mthvax.cs.miami.edu (David Lesher) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: Customized Telephone Numbers Message-ID: <8328@accuvax.nwu.edu> Date: 27 May 90 13:55:44 GMT Sender: news@accuvax.nwu.edu Reply-To: David Lesher Organization: TELECOM Digest Lines: 35 Approved: Telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 390, Message 5 of 7 Alas, this seems to be another area where the LEC's get starry-eyed and see: Revenue Source! Revenue Source! It used to be that you had to be 'somebody' to get one. Me? Well, I asked my friends at test board. They gave me the number for "assigning", the folks who kept track. They (assuming I was the business office, since no one else would have the number to call them) told me to "Tell the sub{scriber} that it's a business nopay disconnect" meaning that I might lost of calls from bill collectors and such. Then you called the rep and got the same song and dance each time: "The Telephone Company assigns all numbers, but {special favor implied} if it is available, I will see if you can have it" Now, SBT wants a fee for trying ($5.00 I think) up to 6 numbers. They tell you to try all the ones you like, and choose "not in service" ones. The problem with THAT is the large # of reserved assignments, such as DID blocks, and Centrucks ;-}. I went through about 150 combinations before I got the present one. Unassigned, but reserved was a real gem xxUNIXV. Oh well, this is a BSD machine, anyhow. NET-NEWS didn't fit my CO assignment. C+P is a lower life form, IMHO. They not only want a flat charge, but something like $1.50/month too! Sorry, but I won't pay that. Moral: the only rational way to do it is get an insider to help you. Chances are she or he can do it for free. A host is a host from coast to coast.....wb8foz@mthvax.cs.miami.edu & no one will talk to a host that's close............(305) 255-RTFM Unless the host (that isn't close)......................pob 570-335 is busy, hung or dead....................................33257-0335