Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!mailrus!accuvax.nwu.edu!nucsrl!telecom-request
From: DREUBEN@eagle.wesleyan.edu) (DOUGLAS SCOTT REUBEN)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: Stamford, CT Outage
Message-ID: <8655@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 5 Jun 90 07:44:19 GMT
Sender: news@accuvax.nwu.edu
Organization: TELECOM Digest
Lines: 43
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 413, Message 6 of 9


Hi-

A few weeks back during the ESS outage in Stamford, CT, I noticed that
Southern New England Telephone (SNET, the most-of-Connecticut "Bell"
Co.) did something rather odd.

 From their DMS exchanges, they managed to block off ALL calls to the
exchanges in Stamford which were affected. IE, you would dial
1+977-xxxx or 1+324-xxxx or any Stamford number, and it would be
blocked immediately. Depending on where you were calling from, it
would either give you a recorded message or a re-order. This would
happen INSTANTLY at the exchange you called from, not after taking
some time to get down to Stamford. Even 0+xxx-xxxx calls to Stamford
were blocked.

Is this some new local network feature that SNET and the rest of the
Bells have? I recall when the exchange in Brooklyn (NY) (There's a
Brooklyn, CT too, so just in case anyone got confused...:-) ) caught
fire that all calls were NEVER blocked locally, but only when they got
to (or "near") the damaged exchange.

The reason I ask is that SNET in many respects is a bit slow to
implement new developments in telephone technology. It still has a lot
of older Crossbars and Step-By-Steps, like the rest of New England.
SNET is just beginning to experiment with CLASS features, but only
Call*Block, and only in the Meriden area for at least the next 2
years. Most areas still allow 0+xxx-xxxx calls to be sequenced to AT&T
calls (out-of-state), altough they SAY this is supposed to be
prohibited. (Although I've noticed that in C&P Tel. territory, mainly
Washington DC, this works as well, ie, no difference between AT&T and
C&P Tel Calling Card equipment...)

Just wondering if SNET has a system to control their calls at the
local switches, or did they have someone at each office program it it
manually...!?


Doug

dreuben@eagle.wesleyan.edu
dreuben@wesleyan.bitnet
(and just plain old "dreuben" to locals...!  :-)  )