busy signal when calling attorney general

by Prof. Gabriel Oberbrunner PhD 7 min read

What is a busy signal?

Dec 16, 2021 · Testimony to UTC highlights CenturyLink’s history of outages, impacts on Washingtonians. OLYMPIA — Attorney General Bob Ferguson submitted testimony asserting that CenturyLink is responsible for many of the technological failures that caused the widespread 911 outage in December 2018. Ferguson’s testimony also asserts that CenturyLink failed to notify …

What does it mean when someone calls busy on the phone?

Jan 08, 2019 · “If you called for help during this outage, only to be met with a busy signal, please share your story with my office," said Attorney General Bob …

Is it possible that the dial tone is not a busy signal?

Charges for Busy Signals or Dial-Time: Minutes are charged for the amount of time you spend while the phone is ringing or when a busy signal is received, ... Office of Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison 445 Minnesota Street, Suite 1400 St. Paul, MN 55101 (651) 296-3353 (Twin Cities Calling Area)

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Why is prepaid calling so difficult?

Some pre-paid calling services may be difficult to use because, when the caller attempts to use them, the access number appears to always be busy. In other cases, if the caller is able to complete the call to the intended recipient, the call may suffer from a bad connection. Some cards just flat out do not work or have PIN codes that are dysfunctional. Adding insult to injury, in many cases, consumers who face problems with a given pre-paid calling card are unable to reach the company at a toll-free consumer service number because the number listed is always busy, or the number does not exist, and are therefore unable to report or resolve such service problems with the company.

Do pre-paid calling cards have a flat fee?

On their face, most pre-paid calling cards and promotional flyers appear to disclose a flat charge ($20 for example) for a clear-cut amount of minutes to be purchased. Frequently, however, the card or the materials include an asterisk near the number of minutes and refer the potential purchaser to review the terms and conditions, which may be disclosed on the reverse side of the card or promotional materials, or may be on the company’s website and thus not disclosed at the point-of-sale at all. In addition to higher rates for in-state calls, the terms and conditions may also include other provisions that deplete minutes through hidden fees and terms. People who consider buying pre-paid calling cards should closely review the fine print of the terms and conditions and be on guard for:

Can a phone bill be used as a credit card?

Most people don't know that their telephone bill can sometimes be used like a credit card - with third party companies placing charges for unrelated services or merchandise on the phone bill. This practice is known as "cramming."

Reasons for a busy signal

An otherwise unspecified busy signal indicates that the called number is occupied:

The Beep-Beep Line or Jam Line

In the early 1960s through the early 1980s, a telephone busy signal provided an early form of social media in many cities and towns of the United States called the "Jam Line " or "Beep Line".

Reorder tone

A reorder tone, sometimes called a fast busy signal, indicates that no transmission path to the called number is available.

Styles

Countries have different signaling tones that act as busy signals, in most cases consisting of a tone with equal on/off periods at a rate of between 60 and 120 interruptions per minute (i.p.m.).

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