Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!accuvax.nwu.edu!nucsrl!telecom-request
From: Allyn@cup.portal.com
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Modem Tax (Again? Again!)
Message-ID: <2548@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 3 Jan 90 18:59:44 GMT
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X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 3, message 6 of 8


Ok folks what is the definitive answer on the modem tax?  Is it being
considered again or is this a rumour?  Someone on a local system
claims to have checked (who?  The FCC?) and they say that it IS being
reconsidered!

I remember an article was recently posted to TELECOM which seems to
have put the subjet to rest.  Unfortunately, I can't the article on my
local system.

Can anyone help?


Allyn Lai
allyn@cup.portal.com


[Moderator's Note: It was not a modem 'tax', but rather, a requirement
by Southwestern Bell Telephone Company that users of modems in
general, and BBS operators in particular, pay business rates for their
phone service. This first came up a few years ago, presumably was
squashed, then the issue was raised again lately. Ken Levitt, a
Fidonet participant in the Digest, passed along a report from a group
of BBS sysops in SWBT territory implying the threat was again present.
The following day, a message appeared here which referred to the
earlier message as just a rumor that supposedly had long since been
killed. Levitt sent along another anouncement last week stating that a
group of sysops was actively negotiating that issue and others with
SWBT. I'm sure more news will be forthcoming soon, and that the
sysop's organization will keep us informed.  PT]