david@cs.uow.edu.au (David E A Wilson) (03/15/91)
I know from reading this Digest that in the USA the cellular phone user pays air-time charges for calls received as well as those originated. Here in Australia the originator of the call pays (but the air time charges do not add to the cost of all calls - just those over distances of less than 165km. Over 165km cellular calls and land-line calls cost the same per minute). What methods of charging do other countries use for their cellular systems? David Wilson Dept Comp Sci, Uni of Wollongong david@cs.uow.edu.au
aiml@cs.strath.ac.uk (Alan Laird) (03/17/91)
> Here in Australia the originator of the call pays (but the air time > charges do not add to the cost of all calls - just those over > distances of less than 165km. Over 165km cellular calls and land-line > calls cost the same per minute). > What methods of charging do other countries use for their cellular > systems? In the UK the originator also pays for the call, but the charges are rather unbalanced. Placing a call from a cell phone to any other cell phone or to any fixed phone in the country costs 25p/min peak (33p in greater London) or 10p/min off peak, where off-peak starts at 9.30pm. Making a call from a British Telecom phone to a cell phone will cost 44p/min peak and 33p/min off-peak where off-peak starts at 6.00pm Also BT start charging almost immediately (presumably as soon as they connect to the cellular system) so you get full charges for failed calls (engaged, cell phone unreachable etc). Does anyone know what Mercury charges for calls to cell phones? As regards the recent reports of cellular fraud in the states, I was recently given a credit limit on my cellular account of 100 pounds per month. I wonder if there is any connection between these two. Anyone know what cellular fraud is like in the UK or Europe. In the UK at least, we don't have roaming (both cellular carriers cover the whole country, well a large part of it) so I imagine fraud could be considerably lower. Alan I M Laird, Department of Computer Science, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G1 1XH, UK. aiml@uk.ac.strath.cs, 041 552 4400 x3081, 0836 320786
adg%ukfca1.uk.ate.slb.com@sj.ate.slb.com (03/20/91)
aiml@cs.strath.ac.uk (Alan Laird) writes: > Making a call from a British Telecom phone to a cell phone will cost > 44p/min peak and 33p/min off-peak where off-peak starts at 6.00pm Also > BT start charging almost immediately (presumably as soon as they > connect to the cellular system) so you get full charges for failed > calls (engaged, cell phone unreachable etc). > Does anyone know what Mercury charges for calls to cell phones? According to Mercury Carphone (the droid on the Mercury 2300 help desk said "We don't deal with carphones", "but......" I said) anyway, Merc Carphone, formerly the Carphone group, said it was ABOUT 33p per minute and then slammed the phone down as I was saying "That's peak rate ?". They are on 0800 373729 if you want to have a bash. What is better is that Mercury charge by the second which is what saves us the real money by using the 2300 service. I've no credit limit on my Vodac account yet. Adam Gorman Mobile 0836 731395 Solstice Systems Ltd, Trowbridge, Wiltshire, BA14 9AZ 0225 755740