Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!rutgers!ames!ucbcad!ucbvax!xanth.cs.odu.EDU!kent From: kent@xanth.cs.odu.EDU (Kent Paul Dolan) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: Pac*Bell /ATT Calling Cards Message-ID: <883@xanth.UUCP> Date: Mon, 27-Apr-87 08:10:56 EDT Article-I.D.: xanth.883 Posted: Mon Apr 27 08:10:56 1987 Date-Received: Sat, 2-May-87 04:48:52 EDT References: <8704240355.AA01860@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU> Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Reply-To: seismo!xanth.cs.odu.edu!kent (Kent Paul Dolan) Distribution: world Organization: Old Dominion University, Norfolk Va. Lines: 50 Approved: telecom@xx.lcs.mit.edu Summary: Who says the breakup was a mistake? In article <8704240355.AA01860@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU> S.D-REUBEN%KLA.WESLYN@WESLEYAN.BITNET (Doug Reuben) writes: >[...] I think this is just another good example of what a mess >the Bell System Divestiture was and is...Hopefully, some day, some one in >charge with these people will realize this and put the Bell System back >together again...Wishful thinking, I know, but its better than getting upset >with this idiocy...:-) !!! I loved the rest of your article Doug, but here I must demur. By pure coincidence, I made two long distance pay phone calls the other day, just after the rate change at 5PM, in the C&P telephone (Eastern Virginia) service area. One call was to my home, 40 miles away; the second call was to my mother's home, 1250 miles away in Minnesota. The second call cost a dime less for the same one minute call. AT&T used to rip us off something fierce, because they held a monopoly position. Now that they are competitive with a lot of other start up long distance service providers, it has suddenly become possible for them to provide less expensive service. The local, "Baby Bells" are still monopolies, and they feel no need to provide reasonable rates. For example, normal pay phone long distance calls are now handled by computer rather than local operators, which evidently saved the phone companies a bundle. Rather than reducing the cost of the start up minute of a phone call to reflect this new economy, the cost continues to increase. Thus the ludicrous result of a 40 mile call costing more than a 1250 mile call. I suggest (<---- Opinion marker! Keep your flames to yourself! ;-) that the thing to do now is to find a not-terribly-disruptive way to introduce phone competition at the local level, since we have proved it works well nationally. It astounds me that the phone companies are the only organizations that can continue to reduce staff by automation, yet cannot seem to turn these savings to them into savings to the customer. What kind of a line are they feeding the rate approving public utilities commissions, anyway? Kent. -- The Contradictor Member HUP (Happily Unemployed Programmers) // Yet // Another Back at ODU to learn how to program better (after 25 years!) \\ // Happy \// Amigan! UUCP : kent@xanth.UUCP or ...{sun,cbosgd,harvard}!xanth!kent CSNET : kent@odu.csnet ARPA : kent@xanth.cs.odu.edu Voice : (804) 587-7760 USnail: P.O. Box 1559, Norfolk, Va 23501-1559 Copyright 1987 Kent Paul Dolan. How about if we keep the human All Rights Reserved. Author grants free race around long enough to see retransmission rights, recursively only. a bit more of the universe?