Path: utzoo!telecom-request Date: Thu, 25 Apr 91 12:58 PDT From: John Higdon Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: Preventing 900 Call Abuse Reply-To: John Higdon Message-ID: Organization: Green Hills and Cows Sender: Telecom@eecs.nwu.edu 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 305, Message 2 of 16 Lines: 37 KATH MULLHOLAND writes: > But the most elegant solution [to unauthorized calls made to 900 > numbers] I've heard is to remove the PIC from the > home telephne line, in essence removing all ability to make inter-LATA > calls. This is not only not an elegant solution; it is not a solution at all. In a similar manner to the way 800 calls are handled, a call to a 900 number is routed to the carrier that is furnishing the 900 transport, NOT to your PIC. Removing the PIC would not stop one single call to a 900 number. And even if it would, how much trouble would it be for someone to dial 10XXX to access any carrier? Removing your PIC does not disable interLATA long distance by any stretch of the imagination. And it will not even slow down carrier-specific calls such as 800/900. > [Moderator's Note: Illinois Bell takes care of this problem by > offering to completely block 900 and/or 976 calls. With the block on > your line, those calls cannot be completed, nor can the operator > complete the call for you. They offer this blocking free of charge. PAT] This is indeed the only real method to effectively handle the problem of unauthorized calls to 900 numbers. It also should end the constant discussion over contracts, uncontrollable children, etc., etc. This is offered by Pac*Bell (and many other LECs, no doubt) at the time service is applied for. If a person declines blocking (or fails to order it when faced with a potential problem) then there really should be no slack cut by the LEC at bill time. With the advent of free 900/976 blocking, this whole debate can be concluded at long last. John Higdon | P. O. Box 7648 | +1 408 723 1395 john@zygot.ati.com | San Jose, CA 95150 | M o o !