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From: tanner@ki4pv.uucp
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: Billing and Answer Supervision
Message-ID: <5265@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 16 Mar 90 18:45:51 GMT
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X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 179, Message 6 of 12


) [ differentiate between metered, non-itemized billing from the
)   phone co and metered, non-itemized billing from the power co ]

Easy.  In the cases of the power, gas, and water bills, you are
receiving a fungible commodity.  With the phone bill, you can not
reasonably assert that <n> local calls may be interchanged with the
call to Brazil, and you must make this assertion or the idea of
metered, non-itemized billing is inappropriate.

Further, I can verify the readings on the meters for the power, gas,
and water by examining my meters.  I can, if it pleases me, go out and
watch the dials turn and verify that they are turning at the right
rate.  I can install my own meter (after the company's meter) if it
pleases me.  You can not, in principle, do this with the phone.


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