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From: abvax!iccgcc.DNET!herrickd@uunet.uu.net (daniel lance herrick)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: New Zealand Sysop Fights Telco on Business Rates
Message-ID: <16162@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 17 Jan 91 22:08:49 GMT
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X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 11, Issue 46, Message 7 of 13


In article <16105@accuvax.nwu.edu>, clear@cavebbs.gen.nz writes:

[detailed account of relations with phone company in New Zealand]

> 1 - A totally deregulated telecommunications environment is not
> desirable except in economics textbooks, as not only could I not have
> appealed the "business rates" decision (PUCs? Hell, this is
> DEregulation!) but there is no regulatory body stopping Telecom (or
> even my ROC) from introducing a special tariff for hobby BBS systems.

A totally deregulated telecommunications environment would allow you
to call one of the other phone companies and tell them you don't like
the service from your current company, "please switch my phones to
your company".  Then we would find out what communications costs.

Seven lines is approaching the fringe at which you should explore the
cost of T1 service.  If you can buy the wire service from someone
other than the phone company, get surplus T1 hardware, and only buy
phone numbers from the local company (maybe even taking the T1 to the
long distance company's Point of Presence) you could end up with lower
communications cost and spread it around among more suppliers.

(T1 is enough digital bandwidth for 24 voice lines on two twisted
pairs.  The breakeven point for installing it depends on how long
those twisted pairs have to be.)


Dan Herrick  Aricol Communications   POBox 1419   Mentor Ohio  44061
(216) 974-9637      herrickd@iccgcc.decnet.ab.com