Call forwarding
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Call forwarding (or call diverting), in telephony, is a feature on some telephone networks that allows an incoming call to a called party, which would be otherwise unavailable, to be redirected to a mobile telephone or other telephone number where the desired called party is situated. Usually, the forwarded line rings once, to remind the customer using Call forwarding that the call is being redirected.
[edit] Billing
The fee charging structure for a calling party to place a call to the called party which has their number forwarded can be subtle: if the called party has forwarded their number to a mobile telephone, the caller could incur higher rates due to the subsequent use of the mobile telephone network. However, the line which is being forwarded usually incurs all related charges, including long distance.
[edit] How to Use
Special types of call forwarding can be activated only if the line is busy, or if there is no answer, or even only for calls from selected numbers. In North America, the NANP generally uses the following vertical service codes to control call forwarding:
| Forward service | Activation | Deactivation | Number change |
|---|---|---|---|
| All calls | *72 | *73 | |
| On busy or no answer | *68 | *88 | |
| From select callers | *63 | *83 | |
| On ISDN | *56 | ||
| Customer-programmable features (where available): | |||
| Busy line | *90 | *91 | *40 |
| No answer | *92 | *93 | *42 |
For wireless phones, GSM standard defines the following forward codes:
| Forward service | Activate | Cancel & Deregister | Cancel & Retain | Status | Reestablish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unconditional forwarding: | |||||
| All Calls | *21*[phone number]# | ##21# | #21# | *#21# | *21# |
| Conditional forwarding: | |||||
| If Busy | *67*[phone number]# | ##67# | #67# | *#67# | *67# |
| If Not Answered | *61*[phone number]# | ##61# | #61# | *#61# | *61# |
| If Out of Reach | *62*[phone number]# | ##62# | #62# | *#62# | *62# |
| Simultaneous forwarding: | |||||
| All Forwards | *002*[phone number]# | ##002# | #002# | *#002# | *002# |
| All Conditional Forwards | *004*[phone number]# | ##004# | #004# | *#004# | *004# |
Some carriers use *71 for unconditional forwarding despite the fact that this is not to standards.
[edit] When and Why to Use it
Diverting calls can increase the contact time that people calling you have.
