Path: utzoo!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!casbah.acns.nwu.edu!nucsrl!telecom-request From: wah@zach.fit.edu (Bill Huttig) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: 800/950 vs 10xxx And 800 vs Call Me Card Message-ID: Date: 3 Mar 91 08:25:18 GMT Sender: news@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (Mr. News) Reply-To: Bill Huttig Organization: Florida Institute of Technology, ACS, Melbourne, FL Lines: 38 Approved: Telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 11, Issue 170, Message 1 of 13 Originator: telecom@delta.eecs.nwu.edu X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Nntp-Posting-Host: hub.eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu What I understand about the various long distance companies would lead me to believe that 950/800 access is different from 10xxx. 950/800 calls require you to have an account with that long distance company and have one of their calling cards. 10xxx calls can be billed to the telephone you are calling from. Therefore most LD Companies need both 950/800 and 10xxx. In the case of AT&T it would be the same calling card since the BOC data base is shared with AT&T (When you ask for an AT&T card they ask the BOC for the number). I don't know why the other companies can't check their calling card data bases like AT&T checks their Universal Card database. When 10xxx started here you had to use the card from that company. They could say something like press 1 to use you Local Phone Company Calling Card press 2 to use your MCI Card or whatever. Now the problem with the Call Me card is that some LD companies other then AT&T do not check the type of card and will accept it for any call. The good thing about 800 personal service is that it is available from phones were there is blocking of 950 and 10xxx dialing. There is no need to have touch tone (If you don't have tone you would have to read you card number to the operator and people could overhear you). [Moderator's Note: Actually, with 10xxx service, neither 800 or 950 is required. After the 10xxx of choice is entered, you can then dial using 1+ or 0+. Everything 950/800 can do, 10xxx can do better. In addition, 10xxx allows billing to the phone being used, something you do not get with 950/800. The main reason these guys do not want to have 10xxx available is because (a) some people would actually use AT&T thus depriving the phone operator of a commission structure they like better than what AT&T will pay, and (b) they would have to program their switches to disallow 'sent-paid' calls over AT&T (if that was their choice) while still allowing 'sent-paid' on the carrier they did want to use. I'd say that's their problem. 10xxx is the method preferred by AT&T. PAT]