gast@cs.ucla.edu (David Gast) (08/26/89)
It's interesting to note that the FCC has implicitly or explicitly agreed
that if we want Interstate Directory Assistance we must pay for it,
but the Access Fee will be accessed on all residential (and most
business) accounts whether long distance calls are made or not.
I have no objection to paying for long distance information calls. I
do object to the present system. 1) The Long Distance Companies spend
lots of money advertising. Presumably they consider this a necessary
cost of business. 2) Getting a number from DA is in many ways like
advertising. In this case they would be advertising a specific number,
not some catchy song that is devoid of content. 3) Because the specific
number has some value to the customer, they believe they should sell it.
4) I would not mind having to pay for DA if it cost a reasonable amount.
I get something like 5 free phone calls to local DA per month (and I use
about 1), after that they charge, perhaps 10 cents a piece. So, if I
pay 14 cents per minute for the LD call and 10 cents for the information
call, then it should cost 24 cents, not the sixty cents or whatever that
is charged.
In all fairness, it should be pointed out that one LDC, AT&T, does provide
a way to get a few LD information numbers each month if a call is made
to the same area code. I believe that this system is reasonably fair.
Finally, speaking of advertising, I have to comment on the fact that
PacBell had been advertising their Centrex System very heavily with
lines like It's in their office, nothing can go wrong. As soon as
the strike started (actually perhaps a little earlier I don't know exactly),
these commercials stopped. Perhaps the strike can cause things to go
wrong. Not to mention major fires a la Hinsdale, etc.
David Gast
gast@cs.ucla.edu
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