Dave -

Once upon a time in a kingdom by the sea.....

I ran the communications network for one of the largest banks in the USA. I had problems with subscribers at the largest node dialing 9 and getting reorder tone. The OGTs were GS Analog and we had about 200 of them.

The switch was a GTD-4600 (CO network) running as a CU Centrex, Telco was NY Tel and a #1ESS.

Check the trunks at the demarc with a butt set and get DT. Decipher the error messages from the switch and it turns out that the Bell System Blue Book stated that a CO had to deliver DT on a GS request in 250 ms. The GTE switch was waiting 350 ms, not getting DT, trying a 2nd trunk, not getting DT and delivering ROT.

To cut a long story short, we did not have GSTs. We had GSLs - Ground Start Lines. Why not? We had ordered Trunks. We had paid for Trunks. Who changed the order? Eventually it turned out that NO ONE IN NYC HAD GS TRUNKS. They were "too expensive" to provide.

When you ordered a GS Trunk, they gave you ground start, but with a LINE side connection. Someplace along the way they had changed the tariff to price GSLs and GSTs identically.

If you wanted a true Trunk connection you had to get it on a T-1 and it was priced significantly higher. We couldn't even do that because the #1 ESS didn't offer integrated T-1s.

When traffic was heavy in the switch (140 West Street) then DT was delayed on the line side - usually by 1/2 a second or even more. Not so you'd really notice it with a butt set - but sure enough for our network to flag it as a problem.

I was researching instituting a Class Action Law Suit when the SVP of Telecom at the Bank called me in and told me to "cease and desist, forthwith".

The Chairman of the Board of NY Tel sat on the Board of Directors at the Bank.

We put up with it.

Sam

"Where are we going and why are we in this hand basket?"