AT&T/Cingular blocks cellular customers from free conference call services

imported_Radimus · 03-19-07, 11:58 PM

Looks to be the latest in phone "scams", but this one seems to be aimed at the telcos instead of the individual user.
Source http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070319-attcingular-blocks-cellular-customers-from-free-conference-call-services.html

AT&T/Cingular has begun blocking access to a free conference calling service last week, claiming that such services are costing the wireless giant millions in rerouting and "termination fees." AT&T/Cingular users have been reporting that they no longer can dial into some free conference calling services, and Cingular spokesperson Mark Siegel told Ars that the reason the company has decided to start blocking these services is because high volumes of calls to similar services are costly, and the cost for those calls aren't passed on to the customer. "We have to pay terminating access for every minute the person is on the line," Siegel explained. "Typically these companies run them through local exchange companies that charge high access rates, so we end up paying high access charges."

View Original News Post

gasusan2006 · 03-20-07, 12:24 AM

Technology....isn't it grand? Can't live without it....

Looks like the people pay...either way...

Susan

mental ambiguity · 03-20-07, 12:37 PM

Very true. We use one of those free conference bridges at my work for our weekly team meetings, because they are free. Past couple of weeks they hadn't worked, so I called up Cingular and was told the same story.

I wouldn't care so much if they did it and told us about it. I can understand why they did it. But, to not tell us and leave many of us out in the dark like that is crap. Drives me nuts..