cca@cs.exeter.ac.uk (Clive Carmock) (09/15/89)
Yes in the UK we do object when BT proposes to charge for directory enquiries, I lot of eople seem to forget that the whole structure of the telephone system is very different over here. Essentially BT STILL has a monopoly, but now a private one. Yes we do have just two other telephone companies - Mercury Communications and Hull Telephone Department (this one serves just ONE city). Mercury cover a small part of the country, and as they have to use BT local lines, are not any cheaper than BT for local calls. There's another point we still pay for local calls over here. Am I right in saying that in most other parts of the world, local calls are either free to residential customers at off peak times, or they can be for a small subscription? But here are local calls are still charged AND timed at about 1p/min in cheap rate time (6pm -8am). Now that's quite expensive, and there is NO option available to have untimed calls - i.e. pay 5p for the whole call. We have to PAY for Bt to give us charge advice on a call - even now that it's part of our new digital network, and is completely automatic - accessed via a star service. BT has had the reputation in the past of 'fleecing it's customers'. Well that is certainly true, and in the UK I understand we are the second most expensive country as far as telephone charges go. There is even no toll free 0800 number to speak to the Telecom accounts department, who can't issue itemised bills in most part of the country yet. Worse to come the effective cost of a 2min peak and standard rate call will DOUBLE in October - they are cutting the time for 1 unit (LOCAL) from 120 seconds to 60 seconds!! So we are justified in expecting things like Directory enquiries to be totally free of charge, don't you agree? Clive Carmock (cca@cs.exeter.ac.uk) P.S. I would be interested to hear from anyone who could give me billing example of the different call rates/times in the USA, and would be interested to have details of the OFF PEAK LOCAL calls to residential customers - ie; do you have to subscribe to a service to get these free?