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From: johnl@iecc.cambridge.ma.us (John R. Levine)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Mysteries of Reach Out World
Message-ID: <15775@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 2 Jan 91 05:15:51 GMT
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X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 11, Issue 5, Message 10 of 11


I was perusing a flyer for AT&T's Reach Out World program, and some
aspects of it are extremely peculiar.  The general plan is that for $3
per month, you get reduced off-peak rates on many international calls
as well as 5% off all domestic calls.

Most of the rates and times make sense, but some don't.  For example,
the rate to Panama is slightly higher than that to continental Europe.
What's more the peak time for calls to Panama, Peru, and Uruguay is
2PM - 10PM (caller's local time.)  Panama keeps the same time as
Chicago, Peru keeps the same time as New York, and Uruguay is two
hours later than New York, give or take different daylight savings
schedules.  Does AT&T think that they all sleep late?  Peak hours of
2PM-10PM in California translate to 8PM-4AM in Uruguay since it's
summer there now.  The peak time to Brazil is 8-5, which makes more
sense, the same peak time as calls to Canada and the Bahamas.

Calls to Mexico are extremly expensive.  Calls cost 15 cents/min plus
a termination charge that depends on where you call.  Calling Mexico
City off-peak costs $1.26/minute, more than Pakistan or Ghana.  Is
that normal?

But the most obscure thing in the flyer was the footnote on calls to
Canada.  Calls to Canada cost 18 cents/minute off-peak, with off-peak
being before 8 AM, after 5PM and all day weekends.  But the footnote
says "There are additional charges when calling Atlin, Canada."  Where
is that?


Regards,

John Levine, johnl@iecc.cambridge.ma.us, {spdcc|ima|world}!iecc!johnl