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From: woody@ucscb.ucsc.edu (Bill Woodcock)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: Person Numbers
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Date: 29 Jan 91 18:50:00 GMT
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stoltz@eng.sun.com (Ben Stoltz) Writes:
  
> I would like to see some discussion on "Person Numbers".

> In the brave new world, people may have the option of
> calling me instead of my phone. Or, they may want to call my
> fax, even if that means the fax in the hotel where I am
> staying instead of the fax machine where I work.

> If you were going to implement this today, without TPC help,
> how would you do it?
  
It's my understanding that BellCore has been working on this for a
couple of years now, with the eventual goal of being able to issue
everyone a single phone number when they sign up for service the first
time, much like getting a Social Security number.  I've seen articles
about the project in a couple of rags recently.  Central computers
would then (in an effort to be both "smart" and "user friendly") keep
track of things like where your cellular was roaming and where the
last outgoing call you'd made was placed from.  In addition, you can
keep a schedule on file with the telco: "homephone 6pm-7am; cellular
7am-8am; workphone 8am-5pm; cellular 5pm-6pm" or something like that.
They also mentioned a feature that I've been looking for for a LONG
time: having All your phones in at all locations ring until ANY ONE of
them is picked up.
                           
     
bill.woodcock.iv    woody@ucscb.ucsc.edu
2355.virginia.st    berkeley.california   94709.1315