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From: ace@lever.com (Tommy AcE)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: The Cost of Numbers
Message-ID: <13265@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 11 Oct 90 05:11:26 GMT
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X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 729, Message 5 of 9


A friend in Colorado who just changed his phone number reported to me
the following curious policy in effect there (presumably, this also
applies when new service is established):

   The telco (U S West) gives you a list of three dull 
   phone numbers you may choose from.

   If you don't like any of the three, you can pay $50 for the
   privilege of choosing from a telco-selected list of five 
   numbers which are more interesting-sounding; these might 
   end in something catchy, like 2211, 0909, or whatever.
   In addition to the $50 one-time charge, you pay $3 every month.

   If you don't like the idea of choosing from a list of three
   or five numbers, you can request the number of your choice
   for a mere $200, and $10 per month thereafter.

This clinched it for me; I'm definitely not moving back to Colorado
now.  And I thought the $1.50 a month I pay for my number here in
PacBell-land was ridiculous.

It used to be (at least in my limited observations) that many telcos
would allow subscribed-selected numbers for free when practical.  The
thought of not charging for something must have become too abhorrent,
and fees for the privilege were created.  Evidently, it then became
abhorrent to U S West that the fees were nominal when they could be
exorbitant, and now you have the current situation.


Tom Ace
{pyramid,sun}!hoptoad!lever!ace