Path: utzoo!telecom-request Date: Tue, 7 May 91 10:36:00 EDT From: Edwin D Windes Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: Why the Bong? Message-ID: Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL 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 343, Message 1 of 13 Lines: 21 In article collins@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu (Bernard Fran Collins) writes: > Perhaps this has been discussed before. Is there a good reason why a > credit card call must contain a pause in the dialing in order to wait > for the bong? The telephone number is collected by your local office. The card number is collected at an operator system. Before you hear the bong, your local switch has to route the call out to an operator system, and the equipment that collects your card number has to be connected to your call. Lots of work to do. > Why can't the card number be delivered to the LD > carrier without such a pause? If a LD carrier is handling the call, they collect the card number after the call reaches their operator system. Ever hear the new "bong/AT&T..."?