Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ames!pasteur!ucbvax!ucsd!rutgers!netsys!vector!telecom-gateway From: optilink!cramer@ames.arc.nasa.gov (Clayton Cramer) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: Divestiture was not a mistake Message-ID: Date: 5 Apr 89 17:57:44 GMT Sender: news@vector.Dallas.TX.US Organization: Optilink Corporation, Petaluma, CA Lines: 40 Approved: telecom-request@vector.dallas.tx.us X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@vector.dallas.tx.us X-TELECOM-Digest: volume 9, issue 126, message 1 of 8 In article , decvax!decwrl!apple!zygot!john @ucbvax.berkeley.edu (John Higdon) writes: > In article , eli@ursa-major.spdcc.com > > (Steve Elias) writes: > > I don't think the answer is to allow any one company to monopolize > > long distance service. If the pay phones were required to display > > or speak the rates being applied, the problem would be solved by the > > free market. The voice equipment necessary for such a task shouldn't > > be too much -- especially for companies which charge megabucks per minute! > > I agree the choice may not be monopolization by one company, but our > regulators must understand that free market principles do not apply to > pay phones. You cannot shop from phone to phone to find the best deal > or even find one that will work. By its very nature, a pay phone is a > quasi-emergency device. The one you end up in front of is the one you If it's REALLY a "quasi-emergency device", then price is really not an issue. Would you object to paying $2 to make a phone call for an ambulance after a traffic accident? > end up with. If it rips you off, that's too bad. Even in places where If it truly "rips you off" (doesn't provide the specified service) that's quite different from "outrageous pricing". > John Higdon My own experiences with COCOTs are mixed. I recently tried to make a phone call from two different COCOTs, both owned by the same company, and as I got closer to the destination caller, the toll charges they requested went UP. However, it wouldn't actually accept my coins to pay the toll charge, so I was able to make the call. At least it gave me my money back. -- Clayton E. Cramer {pyramid,pixar,tekbspa}!optilink!cramer Abandon all hopes of utopia -- there are people involved. Disclaimer? You must be kidding! No company would hold opinions like mine!