Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ames!elroy!gryphon!vector!telecom-gateway From: DREUBEN@eagle.wesleyan.edu) (DOUGLAS SCOTT REUBEN) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Operator Assist Calling Card Calls Message-ID: Date: 23 Mar 89 16:56:15 GMT Sender: news@vector.UUCP Lines: 23 Approved: telecom-request@vector.uucp X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@vector.uucp X-TELECOM-Digest: volume 9, issue 105, message 7 of 7 Hello! A few days ago, I was making a calling card call from a rotary (Bell) payphone, and when I asked the operator for the lower rate since I couldn't Touch-Tone the calling card number in myself, she said she allready knew and was billing me at the lower rate. This makes me wonder: How do the operators (Bell and AT&T) know that it's a rotary phone? Does the equipment detect a rotary call and signal the operator? Or is there just a large database of payphones that tell the operator that it's a rotary? The reason I'm asking is that at a Touch-Tone phone they seem to know that I can dial it in myself, and ask me if there is any problem as they will have to charge me the higher rate if there isn't a problem. Thanks, -Doug DREUBEN%Eagle.Weslyn@Wesleyan.Bitnet DREUBEN@Eagle.Wesleyan.EDU