Issues with phone connections

[mendeleev 68]

When she was still in Russia, we'd have long talks on the phone. If it went to one hour, the phone would go dead. Very reliably. No it happens when my wife has long conversations with her mother, who is still in Russia.

So, why can't a phone connection to Russia last more than 60 minutes? Any ideas?

[mox 298]

The short answer: Это РоÑÑиÑ.

Did her mom live in another city or another area of the city? It's possible that her area of the city is handled by a different phone switch (I'm talking about the huge municipal phone switches) than your fiancee, and it was configured slightly differently. When I used to program phone switches (5ESS for anyone in the know) one of the configurations was a cut-off time that would have affected the calls just as you described.

EDIT: I just re-read your message and realize now that the same thing is happening with the MIL. Very likely the cutoff time is set at the switch. Municipalities will do this typically if the switch is being over-utilized. For example, back in the days when a lot of people used modems (and might still depending on where in Russia she is), they'd just leave them connected all night. This might be a counter-measure to that, to keep more circuits available.

Edited December 3, 2008 by mox

[Brad and Vika 129]

Is it a home phone or cell? Most cell phones have a cut off time of 30 minutes I think.

[slim 1,525]

PATRIOT Act ring a bell?

I had the same issue when I called over there. 28 minutes on the dot and I'd have to call back. Mox is probably correct as it seemed like it was always on her end when we'd get disconnected but we'd always joke that it was KGB and they were cutting us off.

Nothing's changed since. Whenever I drive by the mosque here I get cut off. Hmmmmm.

[Brad and Vika 129]

PATRIOT Act ring a bell?

I had the same issue when I called over there. 28 minutes on the dot and I'd have to call back. Mox is probably correct as it seemed like it was always on her end when we'd get disconnected but we'd always joke that it was KGB and they were cutting us off.

Nothing's changed since. Whenever I drive by the mosque here I get cut off. Hmmmmm.

I think the cell companies do the 30 minute cut off. I have no idea why though - and I have never heard of or experienced a one hour cut or a land line time limit. And I never drive by mosques.

[K1researcher 0]

well .... My fiancee works for one of teh major cell carriers .. they cut at 60 minutes.

[mox 298]

well .... My fiancee works for one of teh major cell carriers .. they cut at 60 minutes.

Huh. She doesn't work at T-Mobile then, because my daughter can go much longer than an hour non-stop. Thank god for free mobile-to-mobile.

Edited December 3, 2008 by mox

[payxibka 10,045]

My wife calls her parents and to this day at 28 minutes, we need to re-start the call. This landline to landline.

Edited December 3, 2008 by payxibka

[KGSodie 0]

To quote Asok: "What's a memo?" (because this thread is WAY to on-topic - forgive)

[NYGirl 0]

Are you guys talking about cell phone or landline? I could be on the phone with my friend in Moscow for hours and thankfully never had any problems unless ofcourse the calling card had no more money on it. I do have to say that calling to Moscow with a $5 calling card gives me about 1,000 minutes. And then........after few hours, i still have about 1,000 minutes left cause I guess the maximum amount they give on cards is 1,000 min but even after the card went down to $2-3 still have the same amount of minutes. Go figure!

[1HappyGuy 45]

I just checked the long distance service we have specifically for Russia and Ukraine. My wife has several calls to Ukraine in excess of an hour without subsequent calls to the same number immediately after, so no problem in Ukraine to land lines or mobile phones. Her calls to Russia are usually fairly short, the longest I found was 24 minutes to her father's mobile phone.

I wonder if it is because of Russia and just old soviet era systems.

[mendeleev 68]

Its landline to landline in all of our experience.

[Thomas-n-Elena 0]

I apologize everyone its my fault. It drives me crazy when my wife talks on the phone for hours so I hacked into the worldwide phone system and set a limit at 28 minutes except for Mox's daughter ( I dont know why I picked her at random not knowing her relation to Mox). Why would I do this, Im evil and crazy as a loon in a monkey cage. muhahahahaha!!!!

Acutally my wife doesnt get cut off very often when she calls her mom, aunt or cousin(all living in different cities). Occasionally she will lose the connection but it doesnt happen regularly.

EVIL EVIL EVIL I TELL YOU!!!!!

I WILL BEND THE WORLD TO MY WHIMSY

THE GROUND WILL SHAKE

NUNS WILL CRY

BUILDINGS WILL FALL.

[payxibka 10,045]

I just checked the long distance service we have specifically for Russia and Ukraine. My wife has several calls to Ukraine in excess of an hour without subsequent calls to the same number immediately after, so no problem in Ukraine to land lines or mobile phones. Her calls to Russia are usually fairly short, the longest I found was 24 minutes to her father's mobile phone.

I wonder if it is because of Russia and just old soviet era systems.

Maybe it is geographic in Ukraine... For my wife calling her parent's (who live in a village, that was previously a secret closed military base) it is 28 minutes.

[Brad and Vika 129]

Sounds like experiences are all over the board. Weird, because everywhere I have called using cell service (Belarus, Romania, Bulgaria, Ukraine) there was always a 30 minute limit set by the European carrier.