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From: slhisc!jlister@marob.masa.com (John Lister)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: Nynex Fast Track: Phone Directories on CD-ROM
Message-ID: <12761@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 28 Sep 90 20:32:22 GMT
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In article <12388@accuvax.nwu.edu> BRUCE@ccavax.camb.com (Barton F.
Bruce) writes:

>In article <12300@accuvax.nwu.edu>, ndallen@contact.uucp (Nigel Allen)
>writes:

>> Someone has already made posted an article here discussing Nynex's
>> CD-ROMs containing telephone directory information for Nynex's
>> operating companies, New York Telephone and New England Telephone.

>Having the phone book on CD-ROM is a tremendous idea, but what NYNEX is
>doing just seems so horribly WRONG.

>I see this as the non-regulated NYNEX taking advantage of their
>position and really ripping off the customers of their regulated
>operating companies NYTel and NET&T. The Feds recently fined NYNEX for
>other abuses, and MA and NY need to get them for the same violations.

>The phone company provides a pile of local books free for every phone,

The problem is (as I understand it) is that the advertising pays for
much of the cost of printing the phone book.  However, the solution is
not really the CD-ROM (though think of what the junk mail people could
do if they got hold of just about all the households in a given area
conveniently packaged...)  rather, it is to provide online access,
which is what the French have done.  They have given away a (cheap)
terminal to everyone with a phone for (I think) free directory
lookups.

A side-effect of this is that the terminal can be used for lots of
other access.  I have heard that Bank at home, and Prodigy-like
services are making a pile of money.


John Lister