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From: eddy@jafus.mi.org (Eddy J. Gurney)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: Telecom*USA 800 Service vs. MCI
Message-ID: <16588@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 31 Jan 91 15:09:37 GMT
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X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 11, Issue 83, Message 5 of 11


In article <16557@accuvax.nwu.edu> Bill Huttig <wah@zach.fit.edu>
writes:

> In article <16510@accuvax.nwu.edu> eddy@jafus.mi.org (Eddy J. Gurney)
> writes:

>>$25.00 service charge, and that the rate was $2.75/month.  Calls will
>>be billed at $0.29/minute during the day and $.2175/minute during the
>>evening.  This sounds very similar to the numbers you have now, and
>>cheaper than MCI's personal 800 service, which is $5.00/month and

> MCI's personal 800 number is MUCH cheaper ... no $25 service charge
> ...  only $2/mo (with Primetime) and .225 a min day and .1083 evenings/ 
> weekends (with Primetime).  Even at the $5/mo rate it would take over
> eleven months to make up the difference; and the calls are .25 day and
> somewhere around .20/min other times.

According to the information I received from MCI, the "PrimeTime plus
Personal 800" costs $9.50/month.  This entitles you to one hour of
calls to and from your home during plan hours.  Calls to your 800
number outside plan hours are billed at $0.225/minute.  After the
first hour, calls to your 800 number during plan hours are
$0.1083/minute.

Without the "PrimeTime" option, the charge is $5.00/month, and calls
are always $0.25/minute, regardless of time of day.

It does appear that MCI is cheaper with the PrimeTime option.
However, the main disadvantage I see to MCI's personal 800 service is
their use of "security codes."  Although I'm not certain, I would
assume that once a caller dials "your" 800 number, they must dial
(presumably from a TouchTone(tm)-equipped phone) an access code to
active the ringing of your home phone.  The Telecom*USA numbers do not
require this.

I was not aware of the $25.00 hookup fee until I had answered half of
their questions.  I agree that the $25.00 charge makes the offer less
appealing.


Eddy J. Gurney, N8FPW  --  eddy@jafus.mi.org  --  The Eccentricity Group