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Billing Q: not hanging up when the other party has hung up?

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  • 08-04-2010 11:48am
    #1
    galah
    Registered Users Posts: 2,215 ✭✭✭


    Hi all,

    hope this is the right forum, otherwise please move..

    Just a quick question - if I ring a number from my landline, and don't hang up (while the other party hangs up after the call), will I still be billed for the connection for the entire time until I eventually hang up?

    This sounds really stupid, I know...(just had a tradesman out who needed to make a call, so he rang a mobile number from my eircom line, but never actually hung up the phone. I noticed 2 hours later...). I just don't want a massive surprise bill (or at least brace myself for it...)

    Cheers!
    galah


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    #2
    rmacm
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,039 ✭✭✭rmacm


    No once the B sub hangs up the call should clear down through the network so you won't be charged for leaving your phone off hook.


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    #3
    galah
    Registered Users Posts: 2,215 ✭✭✭galah


    cheers for confirming. Fingers crossed Eircom see it the same way! ;-)


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    #4
    liamo
    Registered Users Posts: 1,193 ✭✭✭liamo


    rmacm wrote: »
    No once the B sub hangs up the call should clear down through the network so you won't be charged for leaving your phone off hook.

    Is that definite?

    I know that it certainly used to be the case that the originator of the call had to hang up before the call would terminate.

    This made it possible for someone to block your landline by virtue of placing a call to you and simply not hanging up once the call was answered.

    Additionally, if a call was placed and not terminated by the originator that call would continue to be billed - a situation I experienced in work one time with a few simultaneous calls to the UK which inadvertently lasted a weekend. Ouch!!

    So, although I may be showing my age by this recollection, has technology changed on the landline side of things such that this can no longer happen?


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    #5
    rmacm
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,039 ✭✭✭rmacm


    liamo wrote: »
    Is that definite?

    It depends on the operator I guess, certainly any stuff I've worked on since I started working in telecoms this does happen e.g. the B sub hangs up then an ISUP release message is sent or a SIP BYE message with ISUP encapsulated within it.
    liamo wrote: »
    I know that it certainly used to be the case that the originator of the call had to hang up before the call would terminate.

    This made it possible for someone to block your landline by virtue of placing a call to you and simply not hanging up once the call was answered.

    I remember this happening when I was younger alright.
    liamo wrote: »
    So, although I may be showing my age by this recollection, has technology changed on the landline side of things such that this can no longer happen?

    The technology has changed a bit alright, although stuff like the above could still happen it depends on how old the equipment/software that the provider uses in their exchanges is.


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    #6
    rmacm
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,039 ✭✭✭rmacm


    Just to add a bit more to this, with ISDN the call should clear down straight away. A normal PSTN call has a timer associated with it which could be set to 0 which means the call will clear down straight away otherwise the call will remain for the period specified by the timer.


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    #7
    Solair
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,230 ✭✭✭Solair


    The PSTN won't clear a call if the called party (i.e. the person you are phoning) hangs-up. It seems to be an indefinite delay, as we have had people call us and forget to hang up and the line would not clear no matter how long we waited with the phone hung up!

    This was a "feature" of the old pre-digital phone system in the 1960s and 70s and was replicated in the digital system in the 1980s,90s and today. It certainly seems to apply on Eircom's current-generation digital PSTN switches.

    The idea was that if someone called you you could hang up one phone and pick up another.

    The only way of clearing the call down is :

    Press "R"
    Dial another number. (E.g. voicemail 171 [free])
    Press R 2 (toggle back to original call)
    The press R 0 (Clear current call and go to call on hold)

    Complicated! But it's the only way we could clear our line.

    They really should turn this feature off as it can cause massive inconvenience if someone fails to hang up properly, particular in this day and age when phones are usually portable and don't have 'hooks' to hang them up on!

    It's very easy to forget to press "END" on your cordless phone.

    If there is a time-out on this "feature" (software bug!) it seems to be set for a VERY long time.

    I'd have expected it to be 2 or 3 mins max!


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    #8
    rmacm
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,039 ✭✭✭rmacm


    Solair wrote: »
    If there is a time-out on this "feature" (software bug!) it seems to be set for a VERY long time.

    I'd have expected it to be 2 or 3 mins max!

    It's a feature ;)

    On the stuff I work on (Ericsson equipment) there is a timer think it's set to 90 seconds by default but it's usually up the operator as to how long it is set for. The ITU have a reccomendation that says 2 minutes I think although I can't find this at the moment.


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    #9
    Solair
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,230 ✭✭✭Solair


    Eircom really need to check their software on the Ericsson and Alcatel gear. It's definitely taking a LOT longer than 2 mins to time out!

    It'd describe it as more confusing than a useful feature.

    If you want to pop a call on hold to answer on another extension, you can hit R and hang up anyway.


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