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From: telecom@ucbvax.UUCP
Newsgroups: mod.telecom
Subject: Re: Touch-Tone (tm) Line Charges
Message-ID: <8601160429.AA27984@ucbvax.berkeley.edu>
Date: Tue, 14-Jan-86 13:03:14 EST
Article-I.D.: ucbvax.8601160429.AA27984
Posted: Tue Jan 14 13:03:14 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 17-Jan-86 00:35:13 EST
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: Purdue Engineering Computer Network, West Lafayette, IN
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Approved: telecom@mit-xx.arpa

In article <8601090556.AA03648@ACC-SB-UNIX.ARPA> you write:
>I am appalled that NYNEX (?) would charge $5.- per month.
>GTE here (Santa Barbara, CA) charges $1.-/month, and I am
>a bit upset about that. I figured that I wouldn't pay it,
>since they had no means of denying me tone service anyway,
>so I carefully registered the pulse-dialing equivalents of
>whatever tone instruments I had, until the last time I moved
>when they didn't even ask me any more what instruments I had.
>
>Then last week, I got a letter saying that on January 21st, they'd
>install new equipment to deny tone service to lines that didn't
>pay for it, and I could "upgrade" my line "for free" now (i.e. no
>service charge, just an increased monthly charge) or if I asked for
>the upgrade after Jan 21st, they'd charge $15 for the upgrade.
>So I crumbled and let them get away with it.
>Question: I know that it's a fraud in the sense that not only does it
>not cost them extra to provide tone service (in fact it saves them 
>money, as Larry Lippman pointed out) (and they really oughta charge for
>PULSE service) but I'm sure it will - given the present equipment -
>actually COST them to DENY tone service. But does the facility to
>deny tone service actually exist ?
>
>Just wondering ....
>
>	Lars Poulsen @ Advanced Computer Communications
>	<Lars@ACC.ARPA>

Yes, GTE installed a new, digital exchange in West Lafayette some 18
months ago, and unless you "subscribe" to tone service, you do not get it.
Before the new exchange facilities were put in, you had the service,
whether you paid or not. GTE gave perhaps ten days notice and when I
returned from vacation, my tone phones would not work. They tried to
collect for the installation, but I talked them out of it .... long story.
Incidentally, I just read in the paper that the $1.20 monthly tone
charge is being reduced by several Indiana telcos (GTE, Bell) because
of higher than expected income from access charges - I don't quite
understand the logic. For residence phones reduction is about $0.40,
more for business - should certainly be zero, but tell that to your
Public Service Commission lawyers.
Hope this helps,
F. J. Friedlaender @ Purdue University (fritzj@ee.purdue.edu)