cowan@snark.thyrsus.com (John Cowan) (01/18/91)
New York Telephone has just gotten a large rate increase with consequent reorganization, although not as massive as the one they had originally requested from the PUC. (The NYPUC, I may say, has a good rep for refusing to roll over and play dead when telco approaches, unlike many others of its kind around the country.) Many rate restructurings are in effect. The two most interesting to c.d.t readers are probably the cut in the Touch-Tone service charge and the elimination of most of the classes of measured service. Residential customers in non-flat-rate areas (which includes all of New York City and many other New York localities) formerly had five possibilities for measured service (all money amounts rounded to nearest dollar and are monthly): Service Name Cost Credit Timed? Available to Untimed $8 $4 No All Timed $7 $4 Yes All Basic Budget $5 None No All LifeLine $1 None No Public-assistance clients Expanded L.L. $10 $10 No Public-assistance clients "Timed?" refers to whether immediate-area calls are timed and counted or merely counted (fixed charge per call regardless of length). For New York City, "immediate area" is the whole city. Under the new plan there are only two services: Residential Message Rate and Life Line. RMR costs $7, provides no credit, is untimed, and available to all. Life Line costs $1, provides a discount on the first $5 worth of calls, provides no credit, is untimed, and is for public-assistance clients only.