Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!mailrus!wuarchive!texbell!vector!telecom-gateway From: rmadison@euler.berkeley.edu (Linc Madison) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: Telecomm*USA Wants Your Local Phone Calls, Too Message-ID: Date: 21 Nov 89 03:01:40 GMT Sender: news@vector.Dallas.TX.US Organization: University of California, Berkeley Lines: 40 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 525, message 2 of 11 In article you write: >Telecom*USA claims they are now in a position to be your carrier for >phone calls within your own area code as well as interstate. > "If you are an equal-access dial one-plus customer of Telecom*USA, >you can enjoy these benefits: > Easy Dialing: Dial 1 + 700 + 7 digit number within your area code. > ========================================= >Why yes, I do have a couple questions: >And I am sure the rates would not be any cheaper! Five cents more or >less per minute is pretty cheap. I'm sure Telecom*USA would charge more. >It may be however that their plan is a good one in places where a >single area code covers an entire state and long distance charges are >incurred on such calls, at the notorious rates allowed on intrastate >calls by some state regulators. Hmm. The other question is, is it legal? In some areas, such as our own wonderful state of California, Pacific*Bell has a legal monopoly on all intra-LATA traffic. No one else is allowed to offer service. The Telecom*USA service would clearly violate this provision. As for the rates being cheaper, I often use my MCI card for intra-LATA toll calls, because it is often much cheaper than using my Pac*Bell card. First of all, I don't have to pay a $0.40 surcharge (if I'm calling from anywhere in my home area code), and secondly the per- minute charges are often lower than Pac*Bell's. I can call Los Angeles on any LDC cheaper than Pac*Bell to Santa Cruz, 5 times closer. Of course, New York is cheaper still. When I use the MCI card, though, I have to dial 32 digits instead off 7, although I only use it when the alternative would be to dial 25 (0+415+number; Calling Card). Hope that makes sense. Linc Madison = rmadison@euler.berkeley.edu