NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #31/NN_1992_31.iso/spool/comp/dcom/telecom/12767

Internet Message Format | 1992-12-31 | 3.4 KB

Path: sparky!uunet!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!news.acns.nwu.edu!telecom-request
Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1992  06:04:54 EST
From: [e-mail]
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: DID as Replacement For Caller ID?
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X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 927, Message 9 of 14
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In TELECOM Digest 12-924, John Higdon <[e-mail]> says:

> I have an interesting workaround to the lack of Caller-ID.  It is
> called DID ... you have installed one or more DID trunks and buy 100
> or 200 ... telephone numbers ... obtain a switch capable of DID with
> the additional ability to display the called-number ... I may call my
> rep tomorrow and order DID ... at least for people with sufficient
> means.

VERY sufficient means.  Care to inform us how much Pacific Bell
charges for this service, John?  It's {not} going to be cheap.  I'll
give you an example which I researched for the Washington, DC area and
Maryland suburbs.

For the "switch" you'd probably need something akin to one of
Panasonic's small business PBX which sells for about $1000 if I
remember (unless you can purchase a single line DID-trunk capable
telephone for less, or you might know enough to build your own; if you
put a protective coupler on the phone line at the demarc, the
equipment doesn't even need FCC approval.)

The phone lines aren't too bad; here in Maryland the rate for an
incoming DID trunk (minimum you have to order: 1) is $20 or so.
Outgoing trunk is about the same.  (You might be able to order two-way
trunks, I didn't really investigate it that closely.)

Phone numbers are reasonable in Maryland: in DC and Virginia, C&P Tel
charges $1 per number; they are 20c each in MD.  So 200 numbers would
cost $40.

So for say four lines and 200 phone numbers, the cost would be about
$100 a month.  Not too bad, but you still have to pay for OUTGOING
trunks.  Now we are at about $200 a month.  (Unless you just buy one
and one, in which case we have $80.)

But here's the kicker; the phone company installation charge for phone
numbers for DID lines is $1 apiece after the first 20 lines.  The
installation charge for the first 20 lines is $750.00.  Very
expensive.

Therefore the installation cost if you have, say, two lines each way,
is going to be about $3,000 then about $120 a month.  But you'd have
200 phone numbers.  And you could even have some of the numbers do
things like give your own recording without supervision, i.e. "We're
sorry, but the number you have dialed is not available to stupidos
like you.  Hang up and dial the correct number.  This is a recording
..."  "The call you have made requires a twenty-dollar coin deposit.
Please hang up, insert twenty-dollars in coin, and try your call again ..."

It's still *very* expensive except for people who have the kind of
money that they are willing to spend upwards of three grand to put PBX
capability in their multi-million dollar houses.  Which I wouldn't be
surprised since one advantage in such a case is that *every* room can
have a dedicated telephone number which can be dialed from outside.
And, their calls can follow them onto their cellular phone, and so on ...


Paul Robinson -- [e-mail]
These opinions are mine alone