Path: utzoo!telecom-request Date: Sat, 11 May 91 12:58:33 -0400 From: Leryo Malbito Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Is the GTE Airfone Public? Message-ID: Organization: TELECOM Digest Sender: Telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Approved: Telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 11, Issue 358, Message 1 of 10 Lines: 125 While recently on the Pan Am Shuttle, I was examining the Airfone(r), and reading the little information card detailing it's features. Here I will reproduce some of it, indeed it got me quite agitated. THE SKY'S NO LONGER THE LIMIT WHAT IS THE AIRFONE SERVICE? The Airfone service is a PUBLIC phone designed for busy travelers who can't afford to be out of touch with their business while in the air. So the next time you need to know what's up, simply reach for the Seatfone(tm) system and get down to business! (Note: emphasis on 'public' mine.) HOW DOES THE SERVICE WORK? The Airfone service is a unique telecommuncations system operating on a network of more than 75 ground stations strategically located throughout the US and Canada. Each ground station is served by radio transmitter/receivers. These radios in turn are connected to a world-wide telephone network. An aircraft with the Seatfone(tm) system aboard is also equipped with radio transmitters/ receivers and an airborne computer. The computer assists the onboard radio in searching for the best ground station to complete your call. Once located, your call is sent via line-of-sight radio wave signals to one of the ground station radios where it is then integrated into the worldwide telephone network. WHERE CAN I MAKE A CALL? Calls may be placed while flying over the contiguous U.S., Anchorage, Alaska, Honolulu, Hawaii, the southern regions of Canada and within 200 miles of the U.S. coastline. Calls can also be placed while the aircraft is on the ground at most major airports. Aircraft flying overseas are out of range of the ground station network, therefore the system cannot complete your call. WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I EXPERIENCE A PROBLEM? Due to the nature of radio wave transmission, there may be times communication is impaired due to events such as adverse weather conditions or changes in terrain. Should you experience any difficulty, simply notify the GTE Airfone Customer Service representative by dialing "0" while in flight or 1-800-AIRFONE when you reach your destination. If you dial a wrong number, simply press the new call or dial tone button and redial the correct number. After completing your call, dial the GTE Airfone Customer Service Representative and explain what happened. Your bill will be adjusted. End Airfone ad -- all errors are mine. The rates for this service are $2.00 per minute domestic, plus $2.00 set-up. 800 numbers are also charged at domestic rates. International calls are $4.00 per minute, plus $4.00 set-up. DA is free, as is NPA info. Here is their little italicized disclaimer in what looks like two point printing: GTE Airfone Incorporated operates under an experimental developmental license issued by the Federal Communications Commision (FCC). The Airfone service is provided solely by GTE Airfone Incorporated. Liability of GTE Airfone Incorporated for failure of communications is limited to call charges only. Airfone(r), Seatfone(tm), and The Sky's No Longer The Limit(r) are trademarks of GTE Airfone Incorporated. Now, this is all very interesting, as now (on the Pan Am Shuttle, which I take just a little more than once a month round trip) they have a phone on the back of the center seat on each side, in each row. Therefore there are over 80 phones, assuming there are about 40 rows. I remember only several years ago when there was only _one_ phone per plane, and it got just about the same amount of usage! If I was to estimate the number of calls made per trip on all of the phones combined, I would come up with a number no greater than three or four. Of course this is speculation, as I admit I am probably incorrect, yet I cannot help but wonder whether it is more profitable to have so many calls, and what their estimate of maximum calls at a time per plane is; ie, how many outgoing lines they have alotted. BUT the point of my letter was not to promote GTE Airfone, rather to ask for someone to help me define 'Public'. The way the Airfone is set up now, one MUST have some sort of credit card in order to get a dial tone. Not everyone has a credit card. I feel they should at least make some sort of provision regarding the use of an AT&T card. They accept it, but you must have the actual card, not just the number. As I have memorized my AT&T card number (all four digits of it) I don't carry it around for several reasons. a) If I lose my wallet it is one less thing to cancel. b) There is less chance of someone seeing my card number. c) If I know the number, why bulk my wallet up, even if it IS only 1 mm thick? Therefore, even if I DID wish to use this service, I couldn't! (Assuming I have none of the credit cards they accept.) I am interested in anyone challenging my definition of public, or anyone from GTE (such as Robert Virzi, whom I have mailed this to also) commenting off the record, or anyone who has had more expereince with the service. Thanks, Leryo [Moderator's Note: I don't really see what the big deal is, considering nearly everyone has some credit card or another which is accepted. It might be interesting though to see them develop a coin / paper money operated device (a lot like those vending machines at the post office and the train station) which accept up to twenty dollar bills into which the money could be inserted on request following the manual connection of your call by the GTE operator. This would add a degree of anomynity to the process for those who desired it or did not have the cards. You would dial the operator, she would place the call and on reaching someone would have them hold; split the connection; get you to put in whatever you wanted for a certain number of minutes; then connect you and cut you off (or demand more money) when the time was up. Perhaps the airports could also sell pre-paid phone cards like in Europe, ie you buy a card with $10 in phone credit on it and insert that in the slot when on board. PAT]