Xref: utzoo comp.misc:3935 alt.bbs:159 Path: utzoo!hoptoad!pacbell!att!occrsh!uokmax!russ From: russ@uokmax.UUCP (Russ "Random" Smith) Newsgroups: comp.misc,alt.bbs Subject: Re: Houston bbs's vs SW Bell - more Message-ID: <1947@uokmax.UUCP> Date: 27 Oct 88 15:22:15 GMT References: <4252@moray.UUCP> <1933@uokmax.UUCP> <3940@homxc.UUCP> Reply-To: russ@uokmax.UUCP (Russ "Random" Smith) Distribution: usa Organization: Ultimatum Software Lines: 69 [In <3940@homxc.UUCP>, halle@homxc.UUCP said:] ->In article <1933@uokmax.UUCP>, russ@uokmax.UUCP (Russ "Random" Smith) writes: ->> -> CAN SOUTHWESTERN BELL TRULY JUSTIFY THIS RATE HIKE? ->< -> by ->> -> Thomas J.L. Bronsberg-Adas ->< -> ->> -> Recently, Southwestern Bell began raising the telephone rates ->< ->of computer bulletin board systems (BBSs). The rates are being ->> ->raised from $13.35 (the residential rate) to $32.85 (the ->< ->commercial/business rate). This increase is an increase of over ->> ->240%! I feel (as do most computer users) that this increase in ->< ->not warranted, nor justified. ->> -> ->< Something similar to this happened in either '82 or '83 in the Oklahoma ->> City area. A young (well, at the time) fellow named Robert Braver built up ->< a suit against Bell. Bell eventually gave up (hurrah for the good guys!) ->> ->< Hope this one turns out the same way. -> ->And I hope it does not. SWBell is really only doing what it must. Why do you ->think they charge more for "commercial" lines than residential? Not because ->of ability to pay, but because those lines cost more to provide than ->residential lines. The cost of providing a line is significantly affected by ->the amount of use the line gets, both incoming and outgoing. Business line ->usage is typically several times more than residential lines (based on ->minutes of use during the peak hour, e.g.). Of course there are exceptions ->here and there, but by and large the business lines are much more costly to ->the phone company. As far as pattern of use, BBSs are much closer to business ->use than to residential use. -> ->Let me offer an alternative. How about if all lines are charged based on the ->amount of time the line is busy, i.e. you get billed during incoming and ->outgoing calls, but not when the phone is on hook. How would you feel then? ->Now residential rates will probably not be affected much, most business lines ->would stay the same or drop slightly, and BBS lines would skyrocket. Also, ->any lines used at home with a modem would probably go up. Is that really what ->you want? That's the way you should be charged for the lines. -> -> ->J. C. Halle However, I think you should realize -- that's NOT how they claim to do it! A business line is to charge people that make MONEY by using those phone lines. I assure you, my BBS doesn't make a dime for me -- indeed, I lose the bucks for the phone line. Why charge it for a business when it's not? Okay, if they're going to change the whole definition of a business line, that's one thing -- but that's only a fantasy that you've given us. The truth us, they've defined BBS's as obviously being businesses for profit using the phone lines -- and in most cases, that's simply untrue. Mind you, there are systems that are pay and make a profit. More power to Bell where those are concerned -- they are business; they should have business lines. But to tell me that *I* am a business? I'd say not. I can't understand why a person will take a year or two to write a novel when he can easily buy one for a few dollars. -- Fred Allen Random J Nightfall Avatar of Chaos -- Russ 'Random' Smith !texsun!uokmax!russ __________________________________ . . .----------- GEnie : R.SMITH101 |If Reagan is the answer, it must| | | `---. Oklahoma University |have been a VERY silly question.| `--'LTIMATUM----'OFTWARE