[asterisk-biz] Dial arounds?

[Steve Totaro]

On Sun, Sep 21, 2008 at 10:31 PM, Alex Balashov
<abalashov at evaristesys.com> wrote:
> 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

ANI huh?  Sounds like someone I know might be making some test calls.

Thanks,
Steve Totaro