Path: utzoo!censor!geac!torsqnt!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!apple!bionet!hayes.ims.alaska.edu!accuvax.nwu.edu!nucsrl!telecom-request From: john@bovine.ati.com (John Higdon) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: *Long* Phone Calls -- What Does Ma Think? Message-ID: <15128@accuvax.nwu.edu> Date: 30 Nov 90 18:30:56 GMT Sender: news@accuvax.nwu.edu Reply-To: John Higdon Organization: Green Hills and Cows Lines: 38 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 858, Message 9 of 13 Charles "Chip" Roberson writes: > but in Raleigh, every time this happens the phone company > disconnects his line and charges him $35 to reconnect his line. > Is this standard practice for phone companies to react so strongly to > off-hook lines? No, it is not. And there is absolutely no reason, given any switch other than SXS to behave in this manner. It is a scam to increase revenue and nothing else. In any common control switch (virtually anything other than SXS, electronic or mechanical), provision has been made for PS (unintentional off-hook lines). After a maximum of 30 seconds, the register that receives incoming dialing is released and the line is connected to a howler trunk and then to a PS holding trunk. Telcos usually have the PS holding trunk set to return the line to service automatically when the fault is cleared. The only facility being used by a PSed line in the end is a position on the PS trunk bank, which should have more than enough capacity for any condition short of cable failure. What if the PS was caused by a cable splicer or lineman? Would you still have to pay $35? How would you prove it? The only thing close to this practice that I am aware of in CA concerns DID trunks on a 1/1AESS. The customer's PBX normally supplies battery back to the CO. If this battery is lost for more than 30 seconds or so, either because of switch failure or momentary disconnection of the pair, the CO switch busys out the trunk "permanently". To restore it, it is necessary to call repair service and have them reset the trunk. This is done at no charge. John Higdon | P. O. Box 7648 | +1 408 723 1395 john@bovine.ati.com | San Jose, CA 95150 | M o o !