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From: ezf@bbncc5.UUCP (Ed Frankenberry)
Newsgroups: net.consumers
Subject: long distance companies (info requested)
Message-ID: <213@bbncc5.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 4-Dec-85 00:30:24 EST
Article-I.D.: bbncc5.213
Posted: Wed Dec  4 00:30:24 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 6-Dec-85 07:37:29 EST
Organization: Bolt Beranek and Newman, Cambridge, MA
Lines: 18

We recently received an "equal access ballot" from the local operating
company requesting a choice of long distance carrier.  Have there been
any Consumer Reports type studies lately which compare these services?
It would be nice to save money over the standard ATT rate, but I'm not
willing to settle for flakey trunks and poor quality connections.  Does
billing accuracy improve with equal access, or do some carriers still
charge based on a delay (whether or not the call was completed)?

If you've seen any long distance surveys published recently, please
send me a pointer.  Or if you've had experience with these companies
(many of whom I've never heard of) please let me know: Allnet, Ameritel,
First Phone LINK Service, GTE/Sprint, ITT, Lexitel, MCI, SBS Skyline,
TDX Systems, Telesaver, and US Telecom.

	Thanks in advance,
	Ed Frankenberry
	ihnp4!bbncca!ezf
	ezf@unix.bbn.com