[asterisk-users] Disconnection supervision: what about PBX

[Trevor G. Hammonds]

From: Stephen Bosch
> Hi, Trevor:
> 
> Trevor G. Hammonds wrote:
> >> Stephen Bosch wrote:
> >>> Are BRI circuits what phone companies call "digital" lines for use
> >>> with digital sets, such as with digital Centrex?
> >>>
> >>> I'm not aware that Telus even offers BRI.
> >>>
> >>> Sorry -- BRI is ISDN, not digital Centrex.
> >>>
> >>> I'm still not aware that Telus even offers ISDN anymore :)
> >> ...and by that I mean ISDN BRI ;)
> >>
> >> -Stephen-
> >
> > Throughout most of the United States, "Digital Centrex" or
> "CentrexIS" is
> > ISDN as part of a Centrex group.  If the circuit is meant for a
> single
> > device, it would be a BRI.  If the circuit is "Hi-Cap" or meant to be
> hooked
> > up to a PBX or the like, it would be a PRI.
> >
> > I am not that familiar with Telus, but what Bell is calling "Digital
> Voice"
> > service is merely VoIP over one of their DSL connections.  While I
> know that
> > both companies offer Centrex over PRI, I am unsure if either company
> > supports BRI widely anymore.  I know BRI service is available, and
> most of
> > their switches are capable of offering BRI circuits.  For example,
> digital
> > secretarial enhanced key telephone sets are ISDN phones that work via
> a BRI.
> >
> > In my experience, most telcos in the US and Canada will not tell you
> about
> > BRI unless you specifically ask.  And if you do, they shuffle you off
> to
> > another department where they may or may not know how to properly
> provision
> > the circuit.  Somehow, all the LECs in North American look at BRI as
> a
> > data-only service and never really saw the advantages of offering it
> to
> > voice-only customers.  As such, now that 128k (or 144k) is too slow
> of a
> > data connection for most, BRI has just been passed by.  Such a
> shame...
> 
> I can still find information pages on BRI on the Telus website (buried,
> but there); as you point out, though, they refer to data connections
> only.
> 
> I am going to give it a try and see what I come up with.
> 
> There's every possibility they'll offer it but at a ridiculous price,
> just to discourage adoption enough to let them phase it out. I'll bet
> that this stuff will disappear when the switching equipment is
> upgraded.
> 
> -Stephen-

Stephen,
I often find that the telcos discourage voice BRI adoption by making it hard
for you to obtain the correct information or correct department to order the
circuits -- not necessarily by making it overly expensive.  I can guarantee
that most telcos have no immediate interest in discontinuing BRI (Switched
56, perhaps).  However, I cannot tell you how many times I have heard a
telco employee say, "BRI is for data only."  If you can get past the
standard business office or residential order center and into the ISDN or
complex services group, they will usually be able to help you.  In fact, if
you have an existing relationship with the telco, the same place where you
would order a complex Centrex group or pretty much any T1 would either be
able to help you with the BRI order or at least be able to get you to the
right place.  

Take a look at Telus' General Tariff item 485, which covers BRI service:
http://about.telus.com/publicpolicy/tariffs/docs2/CRTC180_1/General_2/item48
5.pdf

After a brief glance, it looks like Telus charges $91.75 to $107.80 per
month (depending on the "Rate Band" of your exchange) for a 2B+D on a
one-year contract.  On a five-year contract, that drops to $79.85 to $99.80
per month.  Without a five-year commitment, this is quite a bit more than I
have seen in Southern California (around US$60/month with the voice feature
package).  However, California has seemed to be one of the least expensive
places for ISDN services.  

Good luck!

		Sincerely,
		Trevor Hammonds