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From: Henning.es@XEROX.ARPA
Newsgroups: mod.telecom
Subject: re: digital readout of the caller's phone number
Message-ID: <851120-130217-3049@Xerox>
Date: Wed, 20-Nov-85 16:02:00 EST
Article-I.D.: Xerox.851120-130217-3049
Posted: Wed Nov 20 16:02:00 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 16-Dec-85 08:06:45 EST
Sender: usenet@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The ARPA Internet
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Approved: telecom@mit-xx.arpa

Re: my request on the whereabouts of Telident:

"Best Protection Against Obscene Phone Calls: Telident, Inc. has
developed a device that makes it a snap to trace calls. It consists of a
box attached to the receiving telephone and provides a digital readout
of the caller's phone number and area code."

I have received several replies, but no one seems to know who or where
Telident is.

Some responses:

"Such a box will require the local telephone company's switcher to
collect and transmit the caller's number to it. For inter-exchange calls
the calling number must be transmitted between exchanges and for "long
distance" calls your long distance carrier must also carry the calling
number across its network. Other  than some local trials using AT&T's
1AESS switch and CCIS6 inter-exchange signalling you won't have this
service available until the BOCs, LECs and OCCs
get their ISDN capabilities deployed. Don't purchase the box yet."

"I doubt that such a device could be built.  The New York Times of Nov 9
(Patent section) describes a device just patented that requires mods to
the phone exchange.  It transmits the caller's number between the first
and second rings.  But until these things are installed, I don't think
there is any way to find the caller's number from the receiver's end."

"It takes more than just a box on the phone!  When ISDN comes into
being, that info will be available to subscribers.  You might even be
able to do it w/ CCS, but unless the CO is programmed to send you that
info, you are out of luck.  Calls entering from a far office would
require reprogramming of that office as well.  It will take a
coordinated effort of many COs to get this one to work. Nice feature,
but I don't think anyone could have it --- yet."