mf@IRCAM.UUCP (Michel Fingerhut) (02/27/86)
> Several large catalog-based operations offer Minitel service instead of mail- > or voice-based ordering (for a fee to the PTT, of course.) > There's also a conferencing service offered [...] > And my impression was that it was quite expensive Well, more on the Minitel, then. In addition to the services alluded in the initial article (directory assistance) and this one, there is a host of such innovative services as supermarket/grocery shopping (delivered at home), travel agencies, etc... A very intersting one is the possibility to have access to one's checking account and consult it (current balance, last operations up to a month back) and other banking services, for the major banks in France. Insofar as teleconferencing, it is more reminiscent of the Bitnauts service than uucp. Junkies there? Yes, people with phone bills of over $1300 for a 2-month period. The terminal have graphic capabilities implemented by means of a graphical character set (rather than pixel-addressability). Pricing goes as follows: it depends on (1) the way you connect to the system offering the service, and (2) on the individual service itself. Connection can be in one of two ways: (a) The service may have its own phone number, and then the caller is charged as per a normal (local or long distance) phone call. (b) The service can be contacted through one of 3 nationally-available "front-end" phone numbers (which one of the 3 is up to the server, since they receive a percentage of the fees from the phone company). They respectively cost to the caller $8.55/hour, $3.20/hour and $0.32/hour during daytime, and reduced rates at night. Typically, the teleconferencing services, used mainly for entertainment/dating purposes, are on the most expensive of the three numbers. Additionally, the service may restrict its access (through passwords) to subscribers, whom it may charge in addition (either a flat fee or per call). For example, my checking account is on the medium-price national number (which is adequate, a call being very short) but costs about $3/month. --Michel