Long Distance PRI's

[Shawn Jones]

We are in the final process with a LD provider to get a LD PRI in to all of our PRI enabled codecs domestically, bypassing our internal PBX's.

I have 16 units in Columbus, and about that in NYC that are PRI capable. All numbers will be 1-800. The provider has assured us that we will have no issues calling locally, or LD. We know that we will have to go with a bridge provider for international calls, which we do already.

Has anyone else come across this situation?

Any insight to possible problems?

Looking forward to getting my TMS up and going for the massive phone book update.

Thanks

[vbhere]

I am not sure if I am to late but I am very hesitant about that solution...If u respond to this thead I will say why

[Shawn Jones]

Please share. We are going with Sprint PRI's.

[vbhere]

From my experience if a long distance PRI circuit is used you can encounter difficulty in receiving inbound video conference calls unless:
(a) the other party is using the same long distance carrier
(b) the party picks over to your long distance carrier using a pic code

The toll free number might work since the calling party's long distance carrier is now irrelevant.
If you do not mind eating the cost of somone dialing you plus the xtra cost for the service and the bill back hassle of using a 800number.

It would be more advisable to use 800-number circuit from Verizon for example since you are in ny, and they are the LEC. Get a PRI from them and provision the IXC with Sprint.

Additionally, there may be issues calling internationally since though in theory all IXC's is suppose to have interconnect agreements with other countries sometimes its with a national telco and they only work with certain carriers.
Having your circuit with the LEC and NOT the IXC gives you the option of picing over to another IXC if the need arises.

[Shawn Jones]

Thanks for the detailed reply. Because of agreements with Sprint, we must use them for the next few years (MAC agreements). I have spoken with our rep on the international call-in side, and we would have to arrange for a bridge through our Sprint Conference provider, unless we dial out to them.

Thanks

[Redder]

Shawn, my former company also went to Sprint. The MAC looks good but the problems have just started. Not that Sprint is terrible but they do not communicate with other carriers. Like VB said you (will) have problems if the other party uses a different LD carrier. For this reason we had to keep several of our SBC PRI's and provisioned the IXC so we could communicate with them.
I highly suggest you test every scheduled video call. Once you know which locations can communicate it will improve.

[Shawn Jones]

Are you (or your previous company) using Sprint PRI's with 800/866 numbers, or are they just local numbers?

We are going with the 800/866 numbers because this solves many of the cross carrier issues. 95% of the calls my endpoints make are to each other. The other 5% are international bridge calls that are hosted by Sprint.

Thanks for the heads up, and I appreciate the information. We are going to begin to implement the first of almost 30 PRI's on Friday the 18th.

[Redder]

Local numbers due to the complexity of the network. They communicated with many customers and wanted the end points to pay for their end of the video presentations.
Internationally we used GlowPoint since the international sites were corporate.

[Shawn Jones]

Finally got a couple of numbers turned up. I have connected successfully from the 866 number to 614, 212, 505, and 937 area code numbers. If I dial one of my other 866 numbers, I get a Cause Code #1 error.

thoughts? Issue with Sprint?

[Joe Vallender]

Can you dial ANY 8XX numbers? Usually it is the LEC's that do the 8XX database lookups and maybe your LD provider does not. You might check. There may be a direct dial local number or dial plan in place associated with your 8XX numbers that you could dial from your LD PRI.

[Shawn Jones]

Good Call, didn't try that. :thumbup:

You are right. It will not let me dial another 8XX number. :thumbdown

I am still waiting to hear from Sprint on this as well.

Any thoughts?

[Joe Vallender]

It could be that there is an internal code used for ON NET calls...like area code 600 and then a switch/trunk group identifier. For instance if your trunk group is 1234 and switch providing service id is 456 then you might be able to dial 6004561234. Your service provider should be able to help.

[Shawn Jones]

We are escalating this with Sprint, I will update when we get a solution. It doesn't seem to be working out.

The T1's are direct to my VC units. Sprint>CSU>VCU

Thanks

[Shawn Jones]

Sprint has opened the lines up to be able to make outbound 8xx calls. I can connect a 8xx phone call, but when I try a VC call, it only connects 64k...

On the other hand, if I call one of my already established VC sites with a standard Area Code (614, 212, etc) the call goes through just fine.

Sounds like a bonding issue on Sprint's part? They say they can only reurn a 3.1khz bearer rate for Toll-Free.

[Joe Vallender]

When you dial a bonded call, the receiving end sends back the other (5) numbers (or portion of) for you to dial for the other channels. If the 8XX number you dialed is being translated to a 10-digit DID number then the far end is going to send back digits from the subsequent DID numbers for your equipment to dial. Your equipment will place those digits in whatever it originally dialed which may not be valid numbers.

Can you make a 1X64K video call? ie, are you getting a data channel?

[Shawn Jones]

Just tried a 1x64 call, not going through on the 8xx to 8xx call.

It goes out just fine to any other area code other than 8xx.

[Shawn Jones]

Just got off a conference call/test session with Sprint:

I can:
Dial 700 between units
Dial Sprint hosted 8xx numbers
Dial video out to Current company sites, and other Domestic sites (Tandberg, etc).
Receive an in-bound telephone call on the 866 number.

I cannot:
Receive an inbound video, off-network call to the 866 or 700
Dial non-Sprint 8xx numbers (MCI bridges, etc)
Give the video units two numbers, and have it choose the number being sent based on the inbound number.

Suggested options by the vendor:
-Local PRI that is PIC'd to Sprint for LD.

-We accept the limitations of the lines, and train our associates to utilize video with that in mind.

Thoughts?

[Shawn Jones]

We ended up going with locally provided PRI's and PIC them to Sprint. It will be mid November before we get them up and going.

Thanks to all.

[vbhere]

Shawn I said this to you in mid July when you started the post:

From my experience if a long distance PRI circuit is used you can encounter difficulty in receiving inbound/outbound video conference calls unless:
(a) the other party is using the same long distance carrier
(b) the party picks over to your long distance carrier using a pic code

The toll free number might work since the calling party's long distance carrier is now irrelevant.
If you do not mind eating the cost of somone dialing you plus the xtra cost for the service and the bill back hassle of using a 800number.

It would be more advisable to use 800-number circuit from Verizon for example since you are in ny, and they are the LEC. Get a PRI from them and provision the IXC with Sprint.

Additionally, there may be issues calling internationally since though in theory all IXC's is suppose to have interconnect agreements with other countries sometimes its with a national telco and they only work with certain carriers.
Having your circuit with the LEC and NOT the IXC gives you the option of picing over to another IXC if the need arises.