TELECOM Digest OnLine - Sorted: Re: Foreign Exchange (FX) Lines Still in Use?

Re: Foreign Exchange (FX) Lines Still in Use?

Paul Coxwell (paulcoxwell@tiscali.co.uk)
Mon, 30 May 2005 22:36:32 +0100

>> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: As Robert knows, those four additional
>> touch tone keys were known as A,B,C, and D. I forget the exact
>> meaning of each, but my question is, did anyone with 'regular'
>> service but with an Autovon phone ever try pressing those keys in
>> a regular call? I did a couple times, and the immediate result was
>> a 'fast busy' signal; the call would not complete. PAT]

Modern BT exchanges here in England reject them and go to the standard
(and irritating) "The number you have dialed has not been recognized"
recording. It's not always an immediate dump to the recording; it
depends upon the position.

> I never encountered a _telco_ C.O. that implemented any
> user-accessible functionality on them. I've got a vague recollection
> of some telco 'test' systems that used em _after_ the call to the test
> system was connected. Of course, that _wasn't_ the switch doing it.

The BT automated dial/keypad test has an option for them here (for UK
readers, this is the line tester reached by dialing 175). After the
line test and ringback when the system prompts you to "Dial next
test," the normal method for checking a DTMF keypad is to dial a 1,
then when you get "Start test" followed by a dialtone, you dial
123456789*0#.

If, however, at the "dial next test" prompt you dial A, you will get
the same "Start test" folowed by a dialtone, but the tester then
expects to receive just the four extra TouchTone digits ABCD in
sequence.

Paul Coxwell
Eccles on Sea
Norfolk, England.

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