bill@toto.info.com (Bill Cerny) (03/09/91)
Telesphere announced "Universal 900 Switched Termination" service recently, which routes calls to a Telesphere 900 number to a regular (POTS) telephone number. For $75 a month, you can run a 900 program in your own home! Setup charges are $1,000, and the charges to the information provider (IP) are 12 cents per call plus 41 cents per minute (billed in tenths of minutes). The IP determines the per call/minute charge to the caller. The IP is also subjected to a _minimum_ "uncollectibles" charge of 10% of gross revenue (which is usually greater than 20%). This announcement comes on the heels of a disclosure that Telesphere "played the float" and delayed remittance checks to IP's last month in order to cover revenue shortfalls from its switched long distance service. Expect the next public announcement to be "Telesphere files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection..." Don't expect 900 -> POTS services from the Big Three anytime soon. Telesphere is a sinking ship, and like so many rats, IP's are jumping ship to MCI (mostly "adult" or "dial-a-porn" programs). Bill Cerny bill@toto.info.com | attmail: !denwa!bill