BMITCHEL@gtri01.gatech.edu (Barry Mitchell) (11/28/90)
When I lived in England in 1970 the phone systems there were almost the same as those described in the previous messages. A telephone number (area code, etc) was not the same throughout the country. From one city, your home number would be something totally different from what it would be in another city. The result being that if you were out of your home town and wanted to call home, you couldn't just dial it from memory ... you had to find a local telephone book with all the right codes. I don't know if they have updated the system since then but it made me appreciate the convenience and value that we receive here in the US and North America. Where else can you order a pizza from a cellular phone while driving home and have the delivery person be there waiting on you when you arrive home?
johns@scroff.uk.sun.com (John Slater) (12/05/90)
In article <15108@accuvax.nwu.edu>, BMITCHEL@gtri01.gatech.edu (Barry Mitchell) writes: |> When I lived in England in 1970 ... a telephone |> number (area code, etc) was not the same throughout the country. From |> one city, your home number would be something totally different from |> what it would be in another city. Not true. The 6D or 7D number is constant. Only the code varied (and not much - see below). |> The result being that if you were |> out of your home town and wanted to call home, you couldn't just dial |> it from memory ... you had to find a local telephone book with all the |> right codes. You exaggerate. The dialling code (STD code) was the same for the whole country except in the area local to the number (where no dialling code was required) and immediately adjacent areas (where a short one or two-digit code was used). These short codes served two purposes: they saved time and finger-ache when dialling, and they bypassed the trunk network. Today most local codes have been abandoned, and STD codes work to anywhere from anywhere, including within the local dialling area. Much simpler. |> I don't know if they have updated the system since then Of course they have! Do you think we've stood still for twenty years? |> but it made |> me appreciate the convenience and value that we receive here in the US |> and North America. Where else can you order a pizza from a cellular |> phone while driving home and have the delivery person be there waiting |> on you when you arrive home? I don't know what prompts you to make this insular assumption. Of course we can do this: we have pizza delivery services, and we have one of the best and most successful cellular setups in the world. John Slater Sun Microsystems UK, Gatwick Office
tjo@its.bt.co.uk (Tim Oldham) (12/06/90)
In article <15108@accuvax.nwu.edu> BMITCHEL@gtri01.gatech.edu (Barry Mitchell) writes: >Where else can you order a pizza from a cellular >phone while driving home and have the delivery person be there waiting >on you when you arrive home? Well, the only things that might stop you doing that in the UK are either living in a pizza wilderness or the pizza people having a toll-free number. My phone number is always the same whether I'm calling from next door, from the other end of the country, or from a cellphone. So is everybody else's. I can optionally leave off the area code from within the area, and sometimes there are local (shorter) codes from one area to adjoining areas, but you can *always* use the Standard Trunk Dialling area code. Yes, and International Direct Dialling to 140-odd countries is available from every phone. The only limitation I can think of, offhand, is that you can't phone 0800 (toll-free) numbers from a cellphone. Our local pizza emporia don't have 0800 numbers. Tim Oldham, BT Applied Systems. tjo@its.bt.co.uk or ...uunet!ukc!its!tjo
zippy@chaos.cs.brandeis.edu (Patrick Tufts) (12/07/90)
John Slater writes:
[in reply to the assertion that, in the US (but not the UK) you can
order a pizza via cellular from your car and get it just as you arrive
home.]
I don't know what prompts you to make this insular assumption. Of
course we can do this: we have pizza delivery services, and we have
one of the best and most successful cellular setups in the world.
Not to nitpick, but :-) :-)
Few pizza places in England have heard of delivery service. When I
was at the University of Essex, the local pizza place said `of course,
we deliver' ... to the central loading dock of the school, that is.
Not a one of my flatmates (20 of them, all Brits) had ever heard of
having a pizza delivered.
ObPhone question: Why is it that a UK -> US phone call is much more
expensive than a US -> UK call?
Patjohns@scroff.uk.sun.com (John Slater) (12/10/90)
|> Few pizza places in England have heard of delivery service. When I |> was at the University of Essex, the local pizza place said `of course, |> we deliver' ... to the central loading dock of the school, that is. |> Not a one of my flatmates (20 of them, all Brits) had ever heard of |> having a pizza delivered. How long ago was this? Two large chains (Perfect Pizza and Domino) have offered delivery services for, oh, three years at least. It *is* a relatively new phenomenon, though. |> ObPhone question: Why is it that a UK -> US phone call is much more |> expensive than a US -> UK call? I would dearly like to know the answer to this. From 1 December Mercury cut their economy rate to the US by 15%, so it now costs 40p per minute (plus tax, which makes it 44.5p). Reach Out World comes in at 59c per minute to the UK, with an additional 5% discount afetr the first ten minutes of each call. Despite the rate cut it's still more than 50% more expensive westbound than eastbound. John Slater Sun Microsystems UK, Gatwick Office
adg@sage.UK.ATE.SLB.COM (12/11/90)
In article <15243@accuvax.nwu.edu> tjo@its.bt.co.uk (Tim Oldham) writes: >The only limitation I can think of, offhand, is that you can't phone >0800 (toll-free) numbers from a cellphone. Our local pizza emporia >don't have 0800 numbers. On the Racal Vodaphone Cellular Network you can now dial toll-free numbers and pay for the privilage by dialing *0800-xxxxxx. I note Tim works for British Telecom who own most of Cellnet the other cellular network. Vodaphone have always been technically superior to Cellnet in these terms and in mobile data transmission so maybe Cellnet haven't cottoned on yet :-). Before the *0800 feature was implemented I was able to dial BT's billing enquiries 0800 number but most other numbers gave the message "You may not call this 0800 number from a cellular phone", or something similar. Adam Gorman, Solstice Systems Ltd on contract to Schlumberger Technologies ATE Division Ferndown Dorset UK
ashbya@uunet.uu.net (Adam J. Ashby) (12/12/90)
In <15309@accuvax.nwu.edu> zippy@chaos.cs.brandeis.edu (Patrick Tufts) writes: ->John Slater writes: ->[in reply to the assertion that, in the US (but not the UK) you can ->order a pizza via cellular from your car and get it just as you arrive ->home.] ->I don't know what prompts you to make this insular assumption. Of ->course we can do this: we have pizza delivery services, and we have ->one of the best and most successful cellular setups in the world. >Not to nitpick, but :-) :-) >Few pizza places in England have heard of delivery service. When I >was at the University of Essex, the local pizza place said `of course, >we deliver' ... to the central loading dock of the school, that is. >Not a one of my flatmates (20 of them, all Brits) had ever heard of >having a pizza delivered. I think that perhaps you (and your 20 Brit flatmates) led a very sheltered life. All over England a small pizza delivery chain is springing up, you may recognise the name: Dominos. They are the latest competition that Pizza Express is experiencing, having had it pretty much their own way for at least the last four years. Of course, I may be presenting a very distorted view, as I am basing my experiences on where I lived over the last four years, which were major metropoli such as Gloucester, Maidenhead and Wokingham. >ObPhone question: Why is it that a UK -> US phone call is much more >expensive than a US -> UK call? Very basic economics should provide the answer to that one, but if you can't work it out I'll give you a few pointers.... The two markets involved: U.K. approximately 50 million people U.S. approximately 250 million people The market suppliers: U.K. British Telecom plus a very small %ge by Mercury U.S. AT&T, MCI, Sprint et al. desperately vying for customers. Of course, one could always argue that price difference reflects the need for the service, the U.K. can learn very little from calling the U.S. thus the service is doesn't need to be cheap. Adam Ashby ...!uunet!motcid!ashbya +1 708 632 3876
peter@ficc.ferranti.com (peter da silva) (12/12/90)
Oh FGS, they even have Pizza delivery in Moscow now. Peter da Silva +1 713 274 5180 peter@ferranti.com
cramer@uunet.uu.net (Clayton Cramer) (12/12/90)
In article <15309@accuvax.nwu.edu>, zippy@chaos.cs.brandeis.edu (Patrick Tufts) writes: > John Slater writes: > ObPhone question: Why is it that a UK -> US phone call is much more > expensive than a US -> UK call? Simple. Rotation of the Earth. They have to pump more electrons into the line going to the U.S., and each electron costs MONEY! :-) Clayton E. Cramer {pyramid,pixar,tekbspa}!optilink!cramer You must be kidding! No company would hold opinions like mine!
penguin@gnh-igloo.cts.com (Mark Steiger) (12/17/90)
Speaking on Pizza in Moscow, I tried some there and it left much to be desired. :) [ Mark Steiger, Sysop, The Igloo 218/262-3142 300/1200/2400/9600 (HST/Dual)] ProLine.:penguin@gnh-igloo America Online: Goalie5 UUCP....:crash!gnh-igloo!penguin MCI Mail......: MSteiger Internet:penguin@gnh-igloo.cts.com