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From: mk59200@uikku.tut.fi (Kolkka Markku Olavi)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: US Long Distance Billing Scheme is a Crock
Message-ID: <10240@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 30 Jul 90 11:54:44 GMT
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X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 529, Message 6 of 10


In article <10218@accuvax.nwu.edu>, john@bovine.ati.com (John Higdon) writes:

|> There are two major problems with adopting this appoach without
|> modifications.

|> First is the pulses themselves. All that I have heard indicates that
|> they sometimes cause problems with modems.

The billing pulses aren't normally transmitted to your phone, they are
part of the CO signalling.  If you want the device that shows the
price of each call, the pulses are connected to your line, but this
obviously isn't a good idea with a line used for a modem.

|> Second is the lack of detailed billing. Given the potential for error
|> in ANY billing system, how can you justify receiving a bill for "X
|> units -- Total Y Dollars"? No detail; no way to track down errors.

This isn't a problem with modern equipment, if you want more detail,
just ask for it.  In the old electromechanical switches the pulses
were counted with a simple odometer-style counter, which didn't give
any details, but the current generation of digital switches accumulate
the billing information digitally and can gather as much details as
the customer wants.


	Markku Kolkka
	mk59200@tut.fi