Path: utzoo!telecom-request Date: Tue, 14 May 91 16:40:14 GMT From: Barry Margolin Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: Is the GTE Airfone Public? Reply-To: think!barmar@bloom-beacon.mit.edu Message-ID: Organization: Thinking Machines Corporation, Cambridge MA, USA 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 360, Message 1 of 11 Lines: 27 In article leryo@gnu.ai.mit.edu (Leryo Malbito) writes: > 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. I interpret "public" as meaning that anyone is permitted to use it, but that doesn't mean everyone is *able* to use it. On the other hand, my home phone is private -- only I and people I authorize are permitted to use it. If the Airphone required you to have an account with GTE, that would make it non-public. > [Moderator's Note: ... 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] Or maybe the flight attendants could sell them right there on the plane. Then, when you get the warning that you're down to your last minute, you could call a flight attendant and buy some more time. Barry Margolin, Thinking Machines Corp. barmar@think.com {uunet,harvard}!think!barmar