About Laboratory Telephones

Laboratory telephones are for official business use only. There is a charge to the Laboratory for each external call completed and for unanswered calls that ring for more than 30 seconds.

Note: Telephone Service Center telephone sets work only when connected to a Telephone Service Center receptacle. If plugged into an ordinary analog receptacle (e.g., those used in homes), severe electrical damage will result. Some Laboratory locations have receptacles configured to support the traditional analog telephone set. Do not attempt to plug a Telephone Service Center set into one of those receptacles!

Placing a call from a Telephone Service Center telephone

To place a call:

• Lift the handset.
• Listen for the dial tone.
• Dial the number.
• A Telephone Service Center multi-line telephone set will automatically select the dialing line for you. To select a line manually, press the respective line's button.

Placing an internal call

To place an internal call:

• Dial the 4- or 5-digit extension.

Placing a local call

To place a local call:

• Dial 9 and
• the 7-digit telephone number.

Placing a long distance call

To place a long distance call:

• Dial: 9,
• 1,
• the Area Code, and
• the 7-digit telephone number.

Placing an international call

To place an international call:

• Dial: 9,
• 011 + country code + city code + telephone number
• Press #.

For a list of country codes click here.

Dialing phone numbers with letters

Each numbered button on a phone has two or three letters of the alphabet associated with it.  Simply dial using the button which has the letter on it you need*.  For the letter Q, dial the number 7.  For the letter Z, dial the number 9. 

*Note:  Although phone model ITE-30SD (30-button phone) has key 1 labeled "QZ", you must still use key 7 for Q and key 9 for Z.

Obtaining an outgoing line

If an outgoing line for an external call is not available, the call will be placed in an on-line queue. You will hear the message, lines busy; please hold." If a line becomes available within 30 seconds, the call will be completed. If you hear a fast busy tone after 30 seconds, hang up and try placing your call again.
Dialing the LBNL Operator

Incoming calls

Always provide your area code and 7-digit telephone number to outside callers (e.g., (510) 486-XXXX). Incoming calls bypass the LBNL operator and ring directly at the extension being called. Answer promptly, identifying yourself and your department.

If your calls are answered by your Voice Mailbox, make sure you have personalized your Voice Mailbox with your name and your personalized greeting. For instructions on how to personalize your Voice Mailbox, see the voice mailbox listing.

Answering an incoming call

To answer an incoming call:

• Lift the handset, or to answer a specific line or retrieve a call placed on hold, press the associated line button and lift the handset.
• A Telephone Service multi-line telephone set will automatically select the ringing line for you. If more than one line is ringing, the line that began ringing first will be selected.

Ring patterns

The number of rings provides information about a call's source:

Levels of access

Each extension is assigned a level of access (i.e., internal, local, U.S., and international) controlling the type of call that can be placed from that extension. A call placed from an extension without the required access level will not be completed, and you will hear a fast busy tone.

Tones