Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!samsung!shadooby!mailrus!accuvax.nwu.edu!nucsrl!telecom-request From: john@bovine.ati.com (John Higdon) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: GTE vs. Pac*Bell Message-ID: <2281@accuvax.nwu.edu> Date: 19 Dec 89 15:17:05 GMT Sender: news@accuvax.nwu.edu Reply-To: John Higdon Organization: TELECOM Digest Lines: 40 Approved: Telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 9, Issue 583, message 5 of 7 Scott Alexander writes: > My impression is that Pac*Bell serves most of California with pockets > being served by GTE. (And very small pockets served by independents.) > How large are the pockets served by GTE? Is there any easy way to > find out which company serves an area (without visiting the area)? In southern California, it's not pockets but major infestations. A friend of mine who lives in that area once remarked that GTE controlled all the places in the LA Metro area that were worth living in. GTE handles the beach cities, and major areas more inland. Unfortunately, there's no easy way to tell in advance anymore. You used to be able to call a given prefix and hear that dreaded "GTE ringback", but now they're even using AT&T 1AESS switches right out of the box. You mentioned Pasadena; it's served by Pac*Bell. Or you could play it safe--come live in the Bay Area. Safe, but boring, telephone-wise. Areas to avoid: Long Beach, (or most of the beach cities), Santa Monica, West LA, Diamond Bar, most of the "Inland Empire" (San Bernardino, Ontario, etc.), Westminster. Frankly, it's a jungle down there. Pac*Bell areas include LA proper, Hollywood, Santa Ana, Pasadena, Alhambra, Orange, Anaheim. If you look at a map, you'll practically see a checkerboard pattern. > Given all the California telephone horror stories, I'm not sure that > I'm looking forward to dealing with either company. Tut, tut! If you're looking for good, reliable, plain vanilla telephone service, then Pac*Bell will do the job nicely. They are even fairly pleasant to deal with. But don't expect any CLASS features, or ISDN or anything else that is au currant. > Pinnacles from Pasadena? Can I get a foreign exchange line to there? :-) Hah! Pinnacles is up here, just south of the Bay Area! John Higdon | P. O. Box 7648 | +1 408 723 1395 john@bovine.ati.com | San Jose, CA 95150 | M o o !