🚀 go-pugleaf

   In Tuesday, January 14th TELECOM Digest (Volume 5, Issue 86), John
Covert identified the 10XXX numbers for MCI, GTE, and AT&T.  Do these
services require subscription?  Are there other 10XXX numbers that do not
require subscription?

   At the U of Penn we have a Bell of PA CENTREX, and through it we
reportedly receive the "benefit" of least cost routing for long distance
calls.  However, because the phone bills to departments are generated
within the University, we cannot tell how a particular call was routed.

   When calling Washington D.C. (from Philadelphia), I frequently get
disconnected.  I have been told that this is because I am routed via MCI.
(MCI believes there is a market for lower quality telephone service.)
I had asked if there was some way to specify an AT&T line in order to get
better quality, our telecommunications office, naturally, said no.

   I would like to dial 9-10288-1-202-XXX-XXXX to get my call routed to
AT&T lines.  (Substitute the 10XXX of your choice.)  This technique seems
to work, in that I get the right party.  Question is, am I really getting
past the pesky automatic least-cost router?  I have not yet been able to
determine whether the line quality or reliability is any better.

   Thanks in advance!
   -Chris

   Christopher Shull                          Shull@Wharton.ARPA
   Decision Sciences Department
   The Wharton School                         (215) 898-5930
   University of Pennsylvania
   Philadelphia, PA  19104-6366