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From: phl@druhi.UUCP (LavettePH)
Newsgroups: net.consumers
Subject: Re: Long Distance
Message-ID: <82@druhi.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 31-Dec-85 13:37:53 EST
Article-I.D.: druhi.82
Posted: Tue Dec 31 13:37:53 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 1-Jan-86 01:05:42 EST
Organization: AT&T Information Systems Laboratories, Denver
Lines: 64

>Does anyone out there knows if it's possible
>to not have a long distance service at all?

One group of Mountain Bell subscribers (Oregon, I think.)
has already started a suit aimed at preventing Mountain
Bell from forcing long distance on them.  They claim that
some of them haven't made a long distance call in over
five years!

PUC regulations in some areas prohibit the telephone
company from collecting money from subscribers for
any purpose other than *their own* services.  I have
heard of another suit pending to stop them from collecting
the long distance bill for AT&T.  The $1.00/month fee
paid to the telephone company defrays what they pay to
AT&T for connection to the long distance network.  It is
a local telephone company's charge to you, but the rest
of the long distance bill goes to the another company.

The Colorado PUC has already forbidden Mountain Bell
from disconnecting local service from anyone who fails
to pay his or her long distance bill.  You might want to
check into your local regulations.

It seems you have several options:

1.  Don't make any long distance calls.  |-)

2.  Make them and don't pay for them until the long distance
    carrier finds some way to disconnect you from using the
    long distance network.

3.  When you get the multi-company signup sheet indicate that
    you don't want any service, refuse to pay the connection 
    fee and take your case to court when the local company cuts
    you off.

4.  Join (or form) a group bringing pressure on the legislators 
    and PUCs to stop the telephone companys from forcing long
    distance service on unwilling customers.  I don't know of
    any nation-wide organization.  I do know a few people who
    feel that they are being ripped off for a service that they
    neither want nor require and would be glad to join such a
    group if it existed.

If you think you have problems consider the plight of the Colorado
subscriber.  Mountain Bell has petitioned the Colorado PUC for
permission to collect a surcharge from all residential subscribers
for the creation of a fund to provide free service for the poor!
This is in addition to a recent request for a 39% rate increase.
(Action on this has been delayed, but for how long?)

When I think of the present ripoffs like $1.27/m for an unlisted
number to prevent them from publishing what I consider no one
elses business but my own and $1.00/m for long distance services
that I don't use and then add the coming rate increases for my
basic service and for *forced* charity I begin to wonder if I
really need a telephone.

People laughed when they were told how their phone bills would
skyrocket if the old Bell System was broken up.  They don't
seem to be laughing so much any more.

- Phil