Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!wuarchive!texbell!vector!telecom-gateway From: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu (TELECOM Moderator) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: Overseas Calling Card Rates Message-ID: Date: 1 Sep 89 05:40:08 GMT Sender: news@vector.Dallas.TX.US Lines: 55 Approved: telecom-request@vector.dallas.tx.us X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@vector.dallas.tx.us X-TELECOM-Digest: volume 9, issue 338, message 5 of 7 In recent messages, some readers have commented that on calls from foreign countries to the United States, the call is billed at the same rate as it is from the USA to there; provided the call is billed to the AT&T Calling Card. Mr. Covert and others have suggested that AT&T bills the calls at rates it has established. There is some authority for this belief, since on page 10 of the AT&T we note that ".....*with the exception of collect and AT&T Card Calls*, billing rates are detirmined by each international telephone administration...." In other words, says AT&T, collect calls and AT&T Card Call rates are NOT set by the PTT's. Is this true in every case? With an associate, several calls were made this week to the AT&T International Rate and Dialing Information Center (1-800-874-4000). We asked for the rate in both directions, when using the AT&T card, and found that generally, the rates are the same. But a curious exception to the rule was right under our nose: our neighbor to the south, Mexico. Calls from most places in the United States Mexico: (Station calls, dialed using the AT&T card) 7 AM to 7 PM $2.69 for the first minute; $1.53 each additional minute. An 80 cent surcharge is added for the use of the card. However in fairness, two reps said it was not added, and one said it was. From 7 PM to 7 AM it was $2.06 for the first minute, and $1.02 each additional minute. For three minutes then, the day charge is $2.69 times 3 = $8.07 At night, this would be $2.06 times 3 = $6.18 From Mexico to the United States: At all hours, $8.99 for the first three minutes; $2.45 each additional. In addition, two reps warned that "....the Mexico Telephone Company sets the rates on this, *we don't*, and that the caller should expect a surcharge of $2 added to each international station call made with the AT&T card, or a $4 surcharge added to each person call.....'.....and many times the Mexican operators insist on making it a person-to-person call....' said one rep at AT&T. So we have $8.07 to call there (or $8.87 if Card surcharge is added) and $8.89 basic plus $2.00 to call here. As part of the same group of messages, a couple readers, including Mr. Covert, stated that when using USA DIRECT, one could be connected *anyplace* in the USA. This is almost correct: On page 13 in the we note that USA DIRECT does not accept or handle calls to area 907. I do not know if USA DIRECT handles calls to 809 or not, or if so, just to the 'American' parts of the area code, all of it or none of it. Patrick Townson