Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!snorkelwacker!mit-eddie!uw-beaver!uw-entropy!dataio!pilchuck!pacer!davidb
From: davidb@Pacer.UUCP (David Barts)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards
Subject: Re: FCC doing it again...
Message-ID: <253@zircon.UUCP>
Date: 30 Nov 89 18:32:04 GMT
References: <1989Nov28.011514.4193@virtech.uucp> <246@cfa.HARVARD.EDU> <128505@sun.Eng.Sun.COM>
Organization: Pacer Corp., Bothell, WA
Lines: 35

In article <128505@sun.Eng.Sun.COM>, henry%angel@Sun.COM (Henry McGilton -- Software Products) writes:
> This thread doesn't belong in this forum, but while it's
> here, this is my contribution:

My thoughts exactly, so here goes:

I have a hard time accepting anything the phone company tells me
about costs and billing policy.

First of all they have to clean up their act and stop shafting
the majority of their customers by changing them extra for DTMF
("touch-tone") service, which actually costs them LESS because:

	1.  Modern switching equipment uses DTMF, not pulse.  A pulse line
	    requires an extra conversion step to convert pulse to tone.
	    (Actually, there are a few old pulse exchanges still out there.
	    These can be distinguished by a different sounding ring
	    (when calling a number on the old exchange) and you can hear
	    the pulses clicking in the background after dialing from a
	    tone line on such an exchange.)

	2.  DTMF is much faster than pulse, and ties up the system
	    for less time spent dialing a phone number.

Fortunately, you can fight back.  If you are being charged more for a
tone line, ask for a pulse line.  SURPRISE!  Unless you have an old
pulse phone exchange, you still can use tone on the `pulse' line - the
pulse-to-tone converter lets the DTMF tones through to the exchange.
If the phone co. sends you an "Aha!  You're using tone on a pulse line
so we'll charge you more!"  letter they can be taken to court.  The Federal
Trade Commission has ruled that if anyone gives you a service that you
haven't asked for, it's a FREE GIFT and you don't owe them a cent.
-- 
David Barts			Pacer Corporation
davidb@pacer.uucp		...!fluke!pacer!davidb