goldstein@delni.dec.com.UUCP (06/20/87)
This really belongs in comp.dcom.telecom (where I've addressed it) and not in any host-specific group, but there's been some misinformed discussion on this net so I'll send in a quick clarification. The FCC is not proposing to tax information or data per se. They are proposing that the dial-in and dial-out lines used by packet common carriers (Tymnet, Telenet, CompUServe, MCIMail, etc.) should be treated the same as the dail-in and dial-out lines used by long distance voice carriers (US Sprint, MCI, AT&T Long Distance, etc.). Physically, the two are worlds apart: The LD lines (which now pay about $5/hour to the locals for "access", quite legitemately) are used on a 1:1 match interstate-local. That is, for every voice channel on the backbone, you have one dial-in voice channel. Packet, on the other hand, gets LOTS of local accesses per interstate channel. They also (now) use the same facilities for interstate and intrastate connections. The LD carriers separate interstate and intrastate either physically or administratively. The FCC proposal simply treats packet common carriers like voice common carriers. It's idiotic, wrongheaded, and will pretty much cripple the packet industry. But it won't affect USENET or private dial-ins. Only "common carriers" are affected, and of course their users who will pay the fee. It may not affect time-sharing companies when you dial in to their processors directly. Just interstate access lines. Oh yes, the fee is split between "incoming" and "outgoing". The "incoming" (dial-in) part is under 2c a minute now. The rest is for "outgoing", which all LD calls but few packet calls make use of (since you're going X.25 into most hosts, not dial). Thus the full $5/hour will apply to (and kill, obviously) PC Pursuit. fred