Yes,
        I'm sure this is technically possible. The only problem being that
it is illegal for a third party to act within a telecomunications
transfer. At the very least in this country but as far as I know this is a
pretty general rule. I'm sure it would apply in the states too as many
areas have free local calls.
        In this instance , if we take two people who are on the borders of
local areas ( but who are local to each other ) ( Telephone companies
usually allow for this. [a->B] )  could set up a system whereby someone at
the other end of the local area could be rerouted to a second area by the
2 people in the middle. eg B local to A,C & A local to B,D. D not local to
C. Thus C could call B free , B calls A free, A calls D free and now C,D
are connected free.. This in theory could be repeated across the country
and one could set up (With a lot of cooperation and very good
link electronics ) a line between say Los Angeles to New York FOR FREE !
        However all this is just hearsay cause as far as I know any
telephone company allowing this form of local calls would surely have
regulations against such behaviour.
        But from a technical point of view I'm sure your point is valid, I
mean what you describe is little more that a more complex answering
machine and no revolutionary electronics would be needed. however again
its also usually illegal to connect unapproved equipment to a telephone
line.
        The most difficult part would be on the celluar side but as long
as you didn't mind ripping your cellular apart it shouldn't prove too
difficult.
        Maybee someone else would like to make some more constructive
suggestions on how one would approach such a task, if only for the sake of
argument.


See diagram bellow if unsure what I mean in the example given..



              **************  ************
             *  AREA 1      *  AREA 2     *
            *               *             *
           *D             A * B         C *
           *                *             *
           *                *             *
           ********************************


                                                David Nicholls

P.S. In case anyone is wondering I have no affiliation with any legal
organisation and the above is only my opinion. Please correct me if I'm
wrong !



On Fri, 10 Jan 1997, Rodolfo V. Moreno wrote:

>  Think one who wanted to save money on long distance phone calls
>  with his cellular could call a close by voice phone number, then have the
>  voice phoner person call wherever the cellular person wanted and
>  connect the people by three-way calling? Anyway to automate this by
>  replacing the voice-phone person with a pic thing or switch?
>