RockyBB
Premium
join:2005-01-31
Castle Rock, CO
| reply to JoelC707
Re: Does anyone have an objective opinion about SVC in Atlanta
said by JoelC707  :As for collect calls, why would it matter what the transmission medium is? If it is TDM based that's just like a regular phone line but VoIP based I suppose could be problematic but phone companies use VoIP in their infrastructure at some point usually so that shouldn't be the issue. If you find out the reason I'd love to know. The reason has nothing to do with the technology. The operator services companies serving the prisons (and hotels and payphones) need the local phone companies to bill the calls and collect the funds for them. Most CLECs do not do third party billing on behalf of other businesses. |
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JoelC707
join:2002-07-09
Tucson, AZ
clubs: | Well that does make sense but why does it matter if you go through a CLEC or an ILEC? Both can bill their customer so what's the problem? |
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RockyBB
Premium
join:2005-01-31
Castle Rock, CO
| the operator service provider (OSP) has to have a billing agreement with the CLEC. Most CLECs don't want to be involved in an activity that generates excessive disputes and customer service phone calls -- all due to excessive fees charged by the OSPs. That almost always leaves the ILEC as the only game in town for third party billing. |
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JoelC707
join:2002-07-09
Tucson, AZ
clubs:
| Yeah, you don't think about it from a customer service standpoint. I wonder if CLECs that are ILECs in other parts of the country would be more apt to doing it? I know a company like Covad that has no last mile infrastructure likely wouldn't do it but FDN (and Nuvox I'd assume), XO, Cavalier and some others do have their own last mile infrastructure so that in a way makes them an ILEC. I wonder if they would be more apt to doing it them someone else? I'm just trying to find other options for him besides AT&T since right now it seems like they may be the only option if that's the case. |
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RockyBB
Premium
join:2005-01-31
Castle Rock, CO
| infrastructure has nothing to do with it. it's all about the contracts and the willingness to do third party billing. Covad isn't selling a voice product right now, so they're not even a player. OP is real touchy right now ... you'll be taking a big risk putting his voice service on XO, especially since he's so close to you! Cavalier maybe, as they have residential accounts. I came up with an idea for a local attorney near me that does public defender work and wanted to switch to a VOIP service. They subsequently went back to POTS, but they're still using my solution. Maybe OP will PM me to discuss... |
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jaseinatl
join:2006-01-17
Atlanta, GA
 ·AT&T Southeast
 ·Comcast
| Wow, sorry it has taken me a minute to get caught up. Thanks for the great conversation and the clarification on a couple of issues.
I wanted to reply to your consideration of Cavalier:
When I started with this firm, they had service through Network Telephone, who used to be Cavalier. There was so much noise on the line that often we would have to call back and hope to get a better connection. Someone suggested that they had the levels wrong on their propietory modem/mux/router/dsu/csu device and it wasn't calibrated for our PBX.
We were paying about 500/mo for a fractional T1, 4 voice lines, 1 fax line. Our connect-speeds were terrible. Their techsupport was non-existent. Their customer service never, I repeat, never answered the phone (as an experiment, I setup one extension to ring non-stop for 24 hours waiting for someone to answer. Occasionally someone would pick up the phone and hang it up, so the extension would re-dial. It was unbelievable. By the time I got my contract with AT&T signed, Cavalier had rejoined Network Telephone. Needless to say, they are not an option for us.
Last August, I talked to AT&T and they promised to port my numbers, transfer my service and have everything running smoothly with 6Mbs access (compared to 1.5Mbs sounded like a deal!) for less than $400/month. As soon as I signed the contract, my sales rep disappeared. They were two weeks late just to show up and they showed up with the DSL modem, no phone lines. Once I finally got a confirmation of the exact date to do the switch, AT&T wasn't there. We were out of service--no voice, no internet for 3 days.
Since we have been with AT&T, we have been without voice or data in some fashion for not less than 3 weeks (21 days). It'll be one year since we signed up with AT&T in AUGUST!
There simply has to be another option.
Thanks again for the great info and the great discussion.
Any other suggestions/advice? Not every law firm has this miserable situation going on, so there has got to be a better answer.
Best wishes,
jase |
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RockyBB
Premium
join:2005-01-31
Castle Rock, CO
| Your problem is that you are dealing with company sales reps on quota and salary who will answer "yeah yeah yeah" without listening to you. The Bell South rep never should have put your internet on DSL, but he wanted to take the path of least resistance to getting the deal so he sold you the cheap stuff, instead of dedicated service. Your situation is not at all difficult for any telecom professional to sort out for you. |
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Mizzat
Will post for thumbs
Premium
join:2003-05-03
Atlanta, GA
·AT&T Southeast
| said by RockyBB :Your problem is that you are dealing with company sales reps on quota and salary who will answer "yeah yeah yeah" without listening to you. Wow what a blanket statement, and you're not on commission? 
I know for a fact an AT&T/BellSouth person suggested a T1 to him.
Jase, sorry to hear you aren't getting what you asked for, last time I PMed you, you replied back that you were extremely happy with the customer service and everything was fixed. |
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RockyBB
Premium
join:2005-01-31
Castle Rock, CO
| said by Mizzat :and you're not on commission? said by jaseinatl :It has gotten so bad, that our account rep (who was the only reason we even considered sticking it out with AT&T) resigned....I have never been so unhappy with the service I have received in my life. I am strongly encouraging my boss to file suit for negligence. Sounds like he needs a commissioned sales rep, as the salaried rep just too weak to handle it. |
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