Stored Program Controlled Network: Calling Card Service - TSPS Hardware, Software, and Signaling Implementation

Calling Card Service enables customers to make calls billed to their calling card number without the assistance of an operator.1 Customers originating 0 + calls to the TSPS are prompted to dial their calling card number, or are connected to an operator based on the originating station treatment (OST) data specified at a billing validation application (BVA) data base." Customers calling from stations with dual-tone multifrequency* (DTMF) signaling capability may dial their calling card number directly. The TSPS validates the billing number by initiating a * Touch-Tone is the AT&T registered service mark for dual-tone multifrequency signaling. 1675 query to the BVA, and then completes the call. Sequence calls (subsequent calls billed to the same calling card number) may be made by keying the number sign (#) character prior to dialing the new telephone number. Operator-assisted Calling Card Service is available to customers calling from stations not equipped for DTMF signaling to the TSPS and to customers requiring operator assistance. Validation of calling card numbers is provided on an inward basis to non-TSPS operators capable of DTMF or multifrequency signaling to TSPS. Billed number screening (BNS), a related Calling Card Service capability, enables the TSPS operator to determine if bill-to-third-number or collect requests are allowed for a particular billing number. The functions needed in TSPS for Calling Card Service and BNS are provided by new hardware and software. These new services are provided by TSPS Generic 1T10, which establishes TSPS as a node on the Stored Program Controlled (SPC) Network.