Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!wuarchive!uwm.edu!linac!att!bu.edu!telecom-request
From: peter@taronga.hackercorp.com (Peter da Silva)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: More on BBSs and Phone Rates
Message-ID: <72206@bu.edu.bu.edu>
Date: 13 Jan 91 14:15:46 GMT
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X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 11, Issue 33, Message 4 of 6


In article <72156@bu.edu.bu.edu>, crawford@enuxha.eas.asu.edu (Brian
Crawford) writes:

> When (assuming if) the U.S. government policy and telephone utilities
> catch up with their own direct-dial, universally accessed and used
> E-Mail network, it can be certain that highly restrictive telephone
> tarriffs as well as legislation will be used to stamp out the various
> BBS networks in lieu of a costly system provided by Telcos.

The Moderator demurs, based on AT&T Mail and the Internet.

Sorry, Pat, but it's happening already. The crackdown on BBSes here in
Houston occurred just before SWBell came out with their own
"Sourceline" system. I find that, like Thoreau's trout, convincing
circumstantial evidence.

AT&T Mail, etc, are not in direct competition with BBS systems. The
Internet is not intended as a public-access system of *any* kind. I'm
still waiting for the other shoe to drop in Michigan. Just wait...
they'll be coming out with their own Teletext type system, sure as God
evolved little apples.


(peter@taronga.uucp.ferranti.com)