10XXX
by The Prophet
One of the most misunderstood and unused features of the post-breakup telconet is the "tenex" code (also known as 10XXX code). Since there are very few 10XXX codes that work in all areas of the country, I have included only a very brief list of common 10XXX codes to get you started.
10XXX codes were instituted after the AT&T breakup in every RBOC in the vicinity of 1984-1985, and are continuing to be instituted in the non-RBOC (independent) areas of the country. In every area that has "equal access" long-distance service, 10XXX codes are available. Your telco will tell you if you have equal access, but they will not give you a list of 10XXX codes for your area - you have to get those from your long-distance carrier or by scanning.
A 10XXX code is useful because it permits you to use a long-distance carrier other than the one that is primarily assigned to your account. For example, if Deathstar Ltd. is your primary long-distance carrier, and you prefer to use Pizzacomm, you could dial Pizzacomm's carrier access (10XXX) code in order to use Pizzacomm for the long-distance call. This is useful if Pizzacomm has a lower rate to where you're calling, for example, or if you need to circumvent Deathstar for some reason.
This is also useful if you need to access a number in the 700 area code for a service (such as a conference calling service) available only through Pizzacomm and not Deathstar. Calls placed through 10XXX codes are billed by your RBOC; however, if you use an obscure carrier (such as a carrier which usually deals only with COCOTs), sometimes you will not be billed for the call (the long-distance carrier has to pay your RBOC to bill the call for them). Also, it can occasionally take a year or more for the call to be billed - it's usually several months. Of course, there are many other uses for it.
For example, some PBXes will block calls to: 1-NPA-NNX-XXXX
But will not block calls to: 10XXX-NPA-NNX-XXXX
Also, it's useful to use the AT&T 10XXX when Red Boxing in some areas, to circumvent the RBOC and go over the AT&T network (which can be boxed when the RBOC cannot be), and in some very small telcos, it's possible to dial a 10XXX-NPA-NNX-XXXX on a payphone and not be billed for the call.
The format for using a 10XXX is as follows:
Example #1: To use AT&T to place a call to the 2600 Voice BBS:
Example #2: To place a call to Vancouver using Sprint (Sprint has its own network into Canada so it is beneficial to use Sprint to bypass AT&T and other carriers which use AT&T lines during network difficulties and outages):
Brief List of 10XXX Codes
These work in almost all equal access areas:
- 10288 - AT&T
- 10732 - AT&T Private Test Network
- 10222 - MCI Telecommunications
- 10333 - Sprint
- 10444 - Allnet Communication Services
- 10488 - MetroMedia Operator Services