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From: dave@westmark.westmark.com (Dave Levenson)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: LD vs Voice Mail / Lower Hotel Phone Charges
Message-ID: <15316@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 7 Dec 90 13:13:54 GMT
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In article <15248@accuvax.nwu.edu>, snowgoose!dave@uunet.uu.net
writes:

> I know that both AT&T and Sprint offer the "feature" of dialing
> another LD number without disconnecting from the LD carrier via the "#".

> I often wish to call my Bell Atlantic voice mailbox from a hotel
> with my LD calling card.  The voice mail system wants me to enter "#"
> to be prompted for my password.  Guess what happens?  That's right,
> the LD carrier disconnects...

The AT&T network is only sensitive to the # when the far end is on
hook.  You may # out of the current call before it has been answered
(of if it is busy) or after the far end had hung up.  If you voice
mail system is still off-hook when you enter the # to terminate your
password, it should not disconnect you.

The MCI network, on the other hand, does disconnect on # on calls in
the talking state (i.e. both ends off hook).  I don't know about
Sprint.

Most voice mail systems demand a longer-than-standard # or any other
touch tone used when they're listening to speech, as a way of avoiding
the occasional momentary similarity between the # and random speech
sounds.  If they shorten the minimum # duration, some voices will
sound like # and cause unintended feature activation.  This is
commonly called 'talk-off' in that industry.


Dave Levenson		Internet: dave@westmark.com
Westmark, Inc.		UUCP: {uunet | rutgers | att}!westmark!dave
Warren, NJ, USA		AT&T Mail: !westmark!dave
Voice: 908 647 0900  	Fax: 908 647 6857