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From: marc@ttc.info.com (Marc O'Krent)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: 1A/1E Call Forwarding and Multi-pathing
Message-ID: <8529@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 1 Jun 90 07:09:18 GMT
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Reply-To: Marc O'Krent <marc@ttc.info.com>
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X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 404, Message 7 of 8


We are having an argument with Pac*Bell and can't seem to get the same
answer out of them twice.  No great suprise there.

Here's the background: for some unknown reason, PB has decided that if
you want Centrex you *must* change your phone number.  They have been
refusing to grandfather in existing phone numbers for several months
now.

To console the destroyed business, they filed a provisional tarriff
called "Number Retention Service."  This turns out to be RCF with no
usage charge.  This allows the customer to "keep" their existing
number.  In fact the NRS (aks RCF) service forwards the calls to the
new (possibly hidden) Centrex number assigned to the customer.  The
NRS service costs $50 install for 1-10 paths on the initial order,
$50.00 per path install after initial order, plus $7.00/month/path and
no usage charges (kind gift, wouldn't you say!?).

Now this NRS can get quite expensive if the customer has say 10-20
existing lines and is in a CO where the switch doesn't do multi
pathing on Call Forwarding.  The conversation goes something like,

"You can have Centrex, Mr. Customer, but it will cost you $70-$140
per month to keep your existing number (#lines X cost/path)."

Some older ESS switches will multipath by default.  I thought it was
the 1A and the 1.  I have been told that it is the 1A, 1E and/or the
1.  I have a real customer in a 1E office where it does not work, but
telco is insisting that it does work.

Does anybody out there who might be reading this really know?  I would
certainly appreciate hearing from you.  Trials with DMS and 5ESS show
that multipathing does not exist.

(As a side note, the NRS tarriff is outrageous as far as I'm
concerned, and I would love to get some kind of protest going to force
PB to either revert back to number preservation, or if NRS is required
because of switch technical reasons, or planning, or whatever then PB
should be *required* to charge one monthly fee and give multipathing
as part of the service.  This type of tariff really hurts small
business the most ( <100 lines) ).


MOK