[asterisk-biz] Dial arounds?

[Alex Balashov]

Igor Hernandez wrote:

> Can someone more knowledgeable here explain what a dial around is and
> more importantly how it works? There are companies that allow you to
> dial 10-10-xxx before the country code + number and they provide you
> with long distance access/bill you later. I have been trying to find out
> how that works and what it would take to get something like that set up.

The 1010 prefix is just a subscriber

All IXCs (long distance carriers, whether domestic or international) 
have a four-digit[1] carrier identification code (CIC) assigned[2]. 
When you, as a sign up for long distance service, your phone company 
simply configures in its switch a default CIC associated with your 
preferred long-distance provider that your non-local calls should go out 
to;  this is known as a PIC (preferred/predesignated interexchange 
carrier).

Sometimes there arises a need to dial "around" the PIC to a 
long-distance carrier other than the one you were PIC'd to.  Either you 
don't want to pay a recurring monthly rate for long-distance service, or 
you need to use some carrier other than your default for a cheaper rate, 
or your default carrier is having a technical problem or is out of 
trunks, or something like that.  That's what the 1010 dial-around is for.

You still get billed for the calls by the carrier you access.  How 
that's done varies by carrier.  With some of them, you have to have an 
account tied to your ANI in order to use them in that manner (just as 
with a regular PIC'd carrier).  Some will send you a bill based on your 
number, perhaps.  Some require that you input information relevant to 
prepaid billing.

So, in summary, it's just a way to get to some long-distance carrier 
than the one that is provisioned on your line by default (if any).

I am not sure what you mean by "get that set up."  I assume the 
penultimate paragraph speaks to that.

HTH,

-- Alex

[1]  They used to be three-digit.  In 1998, they were expanded to four.
      Existing carriers got a "0" prefixed to their former three-digit
      code.

[2]  http://www.nanpa.com/reports/reports_cic.html

-- 
Alex Balashov
Evariste Systems
Web    : http://www.evaristesys.com/
Tel    : (+1) (678) 954-0670
Direct : (+1) (678) 954-0671
Mobile : (+1) (706) 338-8599