3 ms·

I had no idea this was even something you could customize.

quesera 1y ago
It isn't! Maybe it is in China and India, though. I shudder to contemplate the complexity of that switching system, but ... astonishment awaits..?
- chucksta 1y ago
  It certainly was in the US, they were called ring back tones https://www.vice.com/en/article/remember-when-you-called-someone-and-heard-a-song-ringback-tones/ https://www.vice.com/en/article/remember-when-you-called-som...
  - quesera 1y ago
    Well OK, astonished then! I think there has to be some dramatic oversimplification in the description though. Telecom signaling is still a network level event, even in mobile networks. The receiving network does not typically provide audio to the caller until the call is complete. But hey, what a terrible idea! I'm glad to have been old enough in that period (2004-2008) that no one I knew would foist such a thing on a caller.
    - jagged-chisel 1y ago
      The receiving network “connects” the call and starts providing audio.
    - toast0 1y ago
      The telcom keyword is 'early media'. Audio before the call is answered and billing starts.
c22 1y ago
It's just hold music and forking the call at a switch. You can do it yourself with two extra lines and a pbx.
- toast0 1y ago
  If done correctly, the call doesn't count as connected while it's ringing. 'Early media' aka 'late billing' Not that it makes a big difference anymore when most people are on unmetered calling.
jonathanlydall 1y ago
I’ve encountered it here in South Africa too, it’s a service provider “feature”, in no way controlled by your phone. It’s been many years since I’ve encountered it, but was quite scummy because while you’re waiting for the other person to pick up, you’d hear some music and then a voice over saying to press a number now to add it to your own number, for a recurring fee of course. I wouldn’t be surprised if many of the people paying for it didn’t intentionally “sign up”, but are just not educated enough to understand what happened or notice their prepaid credit being slowly whittled away by rubbish like this. The amount of worthless “value added services” pushed onto the poorest here by cellphone service providers is sickening.
pjmlp 1y ago
Many European operators offer this as well, or used to at least.

It isn't! Maybe it is in China and India, though. I shudder to contemplate the complexity of that switching system, but ... astonishment awaits..?

chucksta 1y ago
It certainly was in the US, they were called ring back tones https://www.vice.com/en/article/remember-when-you-called-someone-and-heard-a-song-ringback-tones/ https://www.vice.com/en/article/remember-when-you-called-som...
- quesera 1y ago
  Well OK, astonished then! I think there has to be some dramatic oversimplification in the description though. Telecom signaling is still a network level event, even in mobile networks. The receiving network does not typically provide audio to the caller until the call is complete. But hey, what a terrible idea! I'm glad to have been old enough in that period (2004-2008) that no one I knew would foist such a thing on a caller.
  - jagged-chisel 1y ago
    The receiving network “connects” the call and starts providing audio.
  - toast0 1y ago
    The telcom keyword is 'early media'. Audio before the call is answered and billing starts.

c22 1y ago

It's just hold music and forking the call at a switch. You can do it yourself with two extra lines and a pbx.

toast0 1y ago
If done correctly, the call doesn't count as connected while it's ringing. 'Early media' aka 'late billing' Not that it makes a big difference anymore when most people are on unmetered calling.

jonathanlydall 1y ago

I’ve encountered it here in South Africa too, it’s a service provider “feature”, in no way controlled by your phone. It’s been many years since I’ve encountered it, but was quite scummy because while you’re waiting for the other person to pick up, you’d hear some music and then a voice over saying to press a number now to add it to your own number, for a recurring fee of course. I wouldn’t be surprised if many of the people paying for it didn’t intentionally “sign up”, but are just not educated enough to understand what happened or notice their prepaid credit being slowly whittled away by rubbish like this. The amount of worthless “value added services” pushed onto the poorest here by cellphone service providers is sickening.

pjmlp 1y ago

Many European operators offer this as well, or used to at least.