Busy line interrupt
Busy line interrupt, also known as emergency breakthrough, is a function of telephone land line carriers in which an telephone operator, on request by a caller, interrupts a phone conversation between other parties.[1] This is especially useful for services without call waiting.
Much like long distance calling before the late 1990s, busy line interrupt is a service provided, for instance, to allow people to contact a family member in the event of an emergency if the receiving party's line is busy and the news cannot wait.
The service is not free and is charged whether or not the calling party can reach the person on the other end (as the phone just might be off the hook for privacy reasons or the line might be connected to the internet). For this reason, it is usually only used in cases of emergencies as noted above.
References
External links
- US Patent 7133515 - Subscriber control of busy line interrupt and line treatment codes
- Operator Services & Directory Assistance
- Operator Services - Interexchange Carriers - V5.0
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