[Asterisk-Users] bellster credits problem coming...

[Jeff R Glassman]

According to Ed Guy at Bellster

"The most specific routes takes precedence. For example, if you are 
calling 1-212-555-1212 first routes for 1-212-555 are checked, then 
1-212, then 1 until a non-congested route is found.  (The searching is 
actually a bit more general -- matching is done on a per digit 
basis to meet international needs, but I cant image why anyone would 
publish a route of 1-21)

/ed

PS. 1-XXX-555-XXXX is blocked. I just use that as an example."

-----Original Message-----
From: asterisk-users-bounces at lists.digium.com
[mailto:asterisk-users-bounces at lists.digium.com]On Behalf Of Jay Austad
Sent: Tuesday, January 25, 2005 1:26 AM
To: Asterisk Users Mailing List - Non-Commercial Discussion
Subject: [Asterisk-Users] bellster credits problem coming...


I signed up for the FWD forums, but didn't receive my confirmation 
email.  So, since the FWD guys read this, I though I'd post here.

If you read the route report, +1 currently has 11720 available calls.  
If you look at the routes for specific area codes/prefixes, they all 
have a much smaller number of available calls each.  How does Bellster 
determine what IAX trunk to try first?  Does it round-robin all of the 
possible matches?  Or, does it try to pick the most specific route and 
then gradually try less specific ones until one works?

Given a round-robin or random type scenario, people like me who have 
very specific routes (612,651,952, and 763 area codes) are not going to 
get many calls routed through our systems, therefore we will have a 
very hard time accruing credits.  People who offer routes to +1 are 
going to get an enormous number of credits and unintentionally hoard 
them by not possibly being able to use them all.  People who offer 
routes to less used area codes can end up using all of their credits 
and being starved until a call randomly gets routed to them, even 
though they have in good faith offered up their system for use.

Obviously trying more specific routes first is the better solution, but 
it still doesn't address the problem of people in infrequently called 
areas being starved for credits.  For example, the 701 area code is ND. 
  All calls between cities there are LD.  So, my local calling area 
there in a small town might be 1701493.  How many people will use 
Bellster to call a town of 600 people?  There's no reward for someone 
in a small town to run it because even if someone did call the small 
town, the guys offering +1 routes are more likely to handle the call, 
and he'll never get any credits to use the system.

Maybe there should be a credit donation feature, where you can donate a 
certain percentage or number of calls back into a pool that will get 
distributed evenly among people who handle few calls due to the neglect 
of the scheduling system or the fact that no one ever calls BFE, ND.

Or maybe a weighting/precendence system would be better, where everyone 
on the network is assigned a precedence of say 1000.  That number would 
get decremented for every minute (or a certain amount of time) they use 
the network, and also for time they are not even connected up to the 
network.  When it reaches zero, they can't make calls.  Time spent 
connected to the network will slowly regenerate their precedence, and 
calls they handle for others will more quickly regenerate.  You could 
even use this to implement a queueing system, where if no lines are 
available because they are in use to a certain route, it puts them in a 
hold queue based on their precedence related to others in the queue 
waiting to put a call through, maybe even add a dialback feature so 
they don't have to wait on hold while the line is in use, when they 
pick up, they get some sort of message the line is available and press 
1 to continue placing their call.

Anyway, the basic point of this message is that there is currently not 
much incentive for people in remote/infrequently called areas to sign 
up.  They will end up making their 10 calls and then be providing a 
service for others and not getting anything out of it.

Additionally, it's dangerous to allow routes for toll-free numbers in 
the US.  Some "adult" lines use toll-free numbers, but have a menu 
option to charge the call to your phone bill, even though it's not a 
900 number.

~jay

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