Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!samsung!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!uwm.edu!bionet!hayes.fai.alaska.edu!accuvax.nwu.edu!nucsrl!telecom-request From: david@cs.uow.edu.au (David E A Wilson) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: US Long Distance Billing Scheme is a Crock Message-ID: <10241@accuvax.nwu.edu> Date: 30 Jul 90 07:03:40 GMT Sender: news@accuvax.nwu.edu Organization: Dept of Computer Science, University of Wollongong, Australia Lines: 38 Approved: Telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 529, Message 7 of 10 john@bovine.ati.com (John Higdon) writes: [the > indented bits] >Charles Buckley writes:[the >> indented bits] >First is the pulses themselves. All that I have heard indicates that >they sometimes cause problems with modems. My system transfers much >data to Japan (who uses pulses) and there appears to be no problem, >but I have heard stories to the contrary. Australia uses the pulse counting method as well - I haven't experienced any problems with my modems. I understand that they are only present on a regular phone line if you pay Telecom to install a counter at your end of the line (which cannot be used to argue your bill). >Second is the lack of detailed billing. Given the potential for error >in ANY billing system, how can you justify receiving a bill for "X >units -- Total Y Dollars"? No detail; no way to track down errors. I >doubt that US residents would be willing to lose the detail that >appears on the bill. We never had detailed billing (what you never had, you don't miss?). We are now just starting to get it on international calls (free) and trunk calls (if you pay extra - but when exchanges are upgraded it will become free). You do normally get the international calls totalled separately even with older exchanges. >> 3. to make a short, 10 second call for a low price, therefore, to a far >> away place, just to say "Hi, this is , please call me back on >> pay station ", which eliminates the need for most collect calls, We have this type of payphone - Sydney to Perth ( >745 km) at the most expensive time of day will cost you 30c for each 22 seconds. David Wilson david@wraith.cs.uow.edu.au