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From: olsa99!mje@ddsw1.mcs.com (Mark J Elkins)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Want Homegrown Itemised Billing System
Message-ID: <11850@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 4 Sep 90 14:23:24 GMT
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Reply-To: Mark J Elkins <olsa99!mje@ddsw1.mcs.com>
Organization: Unix Commercial - Olivetti Africa
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X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 626, Message 3 of 10


Whilst browsing through this group - I read...
(From...  <11623@accuvax.nwu.edu> - Frank )

>I have long wanted to get a "computer readable" version of my phone
>bill from the phone company.
>I have an idea for a fairly inexpensive piece of equipment...

What I'm looking for is something that can be connected to the phone
system and be able to read the numbers dialled.  All my equiptment is
tone-dial.  I'm also looking for either some way to monitor/count the
metering pulses - or - measure the time taken on the call.  Knowing
when the call was, the number dialled, and the length of the call - I
can work out the 'units' used - hence the call cost.  Oh - I then feed
the info via RS232 into my computer..

Most commercial switchboards provide this info - but I'm trying to
measure the costs on my modems ... (and also for my private line - no
modem or switchboard).

Can anyone help me at all?  I guess I'm looking for some sort of
circuit diagram that I can build into a working model.

The local Telecom does not do Itemised Billing - I've aske d..- or - I
think the story is - they won't until they can provide the service to
the majority of subscribers.  You can hire 'meter pulse counters' -
but they are only acumulative.


Olivetti Systems & Networks, Unix Support - Africa
UUCP: {uunet,olgb1,olnl1}!olsa99!mje (Mark Elkins)
mje@olsa99.UUCP (Postmaster) Tel: +27 11 339 9093