Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!ncar!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!casbah.acns.nwu.edu!nucsrl!telecom-request From: SKASS@drew.bitnet (Steve Kass) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: How do Businesses Get ANI? And a 911 (711) Story Message-ID: Date: 22 Feb 91 01:09:00 GMT Sender: news@casbah.acns.nwu.edu Organization: TELECOM Digest Lines: 22 Approved: Telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 11, Issue 148, Message 6 of 8 Originator: telecom@delta.eecs.nwu.edu Maybe this has been asked before, but I've been wondering how it is that businesses get inter-LATA ANI already. It's not coming for years to residential customers, it seems, so if American Express (or whoever) knows the number of the caller in real time, how do _they_ get it, and why can't I? A related story: I tried to get verbal ANI from 201-514 by calling 211, 311, etc., and got "Sorry, the # ..." until I got to 711. After 10 rings a voice answered "Emergency, 911." Strange. But stranger yet: we don't have 911 at all in these parts. I don't really want to call back and bother whoever answered. Any guesses out there? Steve Kass/ Math & CS Department/ Drew University/ Madison NJ 07940/ 2014083614/ skass@drew.edu [Moderator's Note: They get inter-LATA ANI for the same reason I get it: They have an 800 number. When you are paying for the calls you get told who you are paying for. If you accept a collect call, the operator will tell you what number is calling also, if you ask. PAT]