Telecom For Dummies

The CIC (pronounced kik) is the four-digit number that your local carrier uses to identify your long distance network. This number is also part of the code you can dial if you want to use another long-distance carrier to make a call. For example, if you have MCI for long distance but want to use AT&T the next time you call London (maybe you heard that AT&T has a great network to the U.K.), you simply dial 10-10-288, plus the international phone number to complete your call.

 Warning!  If you do make a call over AT&T to London, and the number you are dialing from isn’t set up with AT&T, you may be charged a very extreme per-minute rate for that call. Don’t use another carrier’s CIC unless you are willing to pay up to $5 per minute for the luxury.

 Tip  When speaking to your local carrier to change the long -distance on your phone lines, say, “Please set up all of my lines to CIC 0333. I just signed up with Sprint and I don’t want to wait for the time it takes them to send the order to you.”