Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!samsung!umich!telecom-request From: goldstein@delni.enet.dec.com (Fred R. Goldstein) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: Dial "0" for Mickey Mouse Message-ID: Date: 18 Mar 91 19:50:35 GMT Sender: Telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Organization: Digital Equipment Corp., Littleton MA USA Lines: 37 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 215, Message 12 of 13 In article , PCOEN@drew.bitnet (Paul Coen) writes: > They are clearly marked as belonging to "Vista Telephone" or something > to that effect; based on the "Vista" in the name, as well as the > picture of Mickey Mouse (which did NOT inspire confidence -- I was > expecting to get an operator with a Mickey voice) on the information > card. > The 1+ and 0+ service defaults to AT&T. ... > I just thought it was interesting that these two phones exist in the > middle of Mickey Mouse's COCOT territory. So where's the COCOT? The local telephone operating company in Lake Buena Vista, Florida is Vista-United Telephone, a joint venture of Walt Disney Co. and United Telecom, the same folks who own Sprint and a bunch of local telcos in various outbacks. The Mickey Mouse payphones are plain old local telco units, NOT COCOTS! Y'see, back when WDW was being created, the swamps west of Kissimee were unpopulated and no telco served them. So Disney created a telephone company subsidiary and got certificated to serve the area, which they named after, I think, a place in Anaheim (LBV). They sold half to United, which no doubt added some expertise. It's a fully modern operation with two COs, optical fiber, etc. And given the growth in the area, it has quite a few phones in its territory. (Smart move!) Fred R. Goldstein Digital Equipment Corp. Littleton MA goldstein@delni.enet.dec.com voice: +1 508 486 7388 Do you think anyone else on the planet would share my opinions, let alone a multi-billion dollar corporation?