Capability to automatically dial extensions is missing

[Alfonso Sanchez-Beato]

GSM phones support dialling strings that include DTMF digits that are sent after the call is answered. This is useful when the call is answered by a PBX. There are two possibilities:

1.- Sending the digits with a pause of 3 seconds after the call has been answered. The functionality is described in TS 22.101, section A.21.
2.- Letting the user send the digits after the call has been answered pressing again the send button. I have not found this specified, but seems to be supported in most phones.

First option is shown with a ',' character in Android and iPhones or with 'p' in other phones. Example: 65423211,34 or 65423211p34, which will send DTMF digits 3 and 4 three seconds after 65423211 answers the call. My Android phone waits 2 seconds instead of 3, but that does not really comply with TS 22.101.

Second option is shown with a ';' character in Android and iPhones or with 'w' in other phones. Example: 65423211;34 or 65423211w34, which will send DTMF digits 3 and 4 when the user presses the send button for the second time (after 65423211 answers the call).

Note that these special digits can be stored in the phone book.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Matthew Paul Thomas (mpt)]

This requires keyboard changes, because Ubuntu's phone number OSK does not have Pause or Wait keys like the iOS and Android ones do.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Cris Dywan (kalikiana)]

As you're looking into it, please consider making this discoverable - on Android I only found out by guessing that I can long-press the * and # buttons. Not to mention nothing tells you how to use these special symbols.
Maybe the buttons can have a second label saying "pause" and "send"? Or a little overview like Unity's hotkeys screen.

[Silas Wulff (silaswulff)]

Does anybody know an ETA on this one ? This functionality is pretty critical for me and my team as we dial multiple conference calls every day and its the only thing that really keeps us from using Ubuntu phones :-/

[Silas Wulff (silaswulff)]

the Firefox OS project similarly implemented this and it was prioritised by them because its a requirement for the phone OS to obtain certain certifications - maybe this could be used to push it in priority :-D

[Seth (seth-ciango)]

As others have stated, this is not just a luxury, but an important feature. It is important to be able to create contacts for direct dialing to conference lines. Other projects, such as calendar and appointments, do not allow direct dialing via a long press of a phone number and extension. For those that often have reoccurring conference calls to multiple conference lines, the ability to dial a saved contact with a twenty digit number with the appropriate pauses is a necessary feature.