Path: utzoo!telecom-request Date: 30 May 91 15:07:54 GMT From: oberman@ptavv.llnl.gov Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Rotary Dial Phones Forgotten But Not Gone Message-ID: Organization: TELECOM Digest 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 413, Message 11 of 13 Lines: 35 Well, a government agency (or its contractors) has again forgotten about those silly, old-fashioned rotary phones. This morning's {Tri-Valley Herald} (Livermore, CA) reports that a $25,000 telephone messaging and information system installed in the county courthouse is not accessible by rotary-dialed phones. "Those unfortunate enough to have the old-fashioned types of telephones will be disconnected five seconds after the menu of keypad choices ends." The system for the small claims and civil divisions was supposed to switch to an operator if no menu items were selected, but "somehow, it got lost in the cracks" said John Reymundo, division chief of the small claims court. It's not clear who is responsible. Craig Watts of Pacific Bell is quoted "That is bad." and "I sure hope it wasn't our system." and claimed that 23% of California households have rotary phones. (First time I've heard that number. I wonder where he got it.) The company who installed the system was unavailable for comment. (Gee, I wonder why?) I wonder how many more of these we will see. I wonder when COs will start dropping support for rotory phones into electronic switches? I suspect it's coming now that tone dialing is "free" in California. Maybe there will soon be a charge to allow rotory dialing in the future with all rotory service moved to the old switches? R. Kevin Oberman Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Internet: oberman@icdc.llnl.gov (415) 422-6955 Disclaimer: Don't take this too seriously. I just like to improve my typing and probably don't really know anything useful about anything.