goldstein@delni.DEC.COM (Fred R. Goldstein dtn226-7388) (05/17/88)
Following up to a query from our friend in Wales (?),
In the US (as in many other countries, I'm sure), there are separate
local tariffs for business and residential telephones. In most urban
areas, business phones are charged measured rates while residential
phones are allowed flat rates. In most rural areas, flat rates prevail.
And there are lots of "optional" plans. Local rates are set by state
regulators who approve telco proposals, so there are many, many
variations.
A few examples and exceptions:
In New York City, there are no flat rates, period. There are two
message plans that residential users can subscribe to. One charges by
the call, untimed, the other times calls. The untimed plan has a
slightly higher rate than the first-five-minutes charge of the timed
plan. These include time-of-day rates, so (I don't have exact numbers)
timed day calls are about 7.5c for the first minute and 1.1c for
additional minutes; late-night calls are about 3c for the first minute
and 0.2c for additional minutes. Untimed calls are about 8.5 and 4c
each. This is within the "primary" band (8 miles?); higher rates apply
for longer distances within the NYC metro area. Still, intra-metro
rates are lower than "toll" rates.
In California, most residential users get flat rates, but can get
measured rates for a lower monthly fee. Businesses are measured (at
least in metro areas). The usage charge is banded, with intra-exchange,
adjacent-exchange and nearby-exchange rates. Then there's toll, which
applies even within some metro areas if it's far enough.
In Massachusetts, all residential users are allowed flat rates, but can
get measured rate for a lower monthly fee. Businesses, however, get
measured rates ONLY if their local calling area exceeds 160,000 or so
phones. Otherwise (non-metro) they can get flat rates. Within Boston,
there are three bands, 1MU to 3MU, based on 8, 12 and 16 mile radii.
All message rates are timed. Residential flat rate options in Boston
Metro include:
Contiguous: Free to your own and adjacent exchanges only.
Suburban: Free to all of Metro except Boston Central.
Metropoloitan: Free to all of Metro.
Circle: Free within 20 miles radius (not offered everywhere)
*Measured Circle: Discounted within 20 miles.
*Bay State: Discounted (except weekday mornings) anywhere
within Eastern/Central Mass., includes Metro.
* these rates are also offered as supplementary to basic service.
Yes, it's VERY confusing.
In Denver and Atlanta, businesses and residences alike can get flat
rates for the entire metro area (50 miles or so across).
In New Jersey (typical of many), businesses are measured, residences
are usually free for a small radius, but for a fee (per exchange or per
band) residences can "buy" extended free calling areas.
Confused? So's everyone else. The telcos mostly want to force everyone
to go measured, but the people (and their government) generally resist,
so residential customers usually get reprieved.
fredrpw3@amdcad.AMD.COM (Rob Warnock) (05/19/88)
+--------------- | In Denver and Atlanta, businesses and residences alike can get flat | rates for the entire metro area (50 miles or so across). +--------------- Yes, when I lived in Atlanta, it was said to have "the largest toll-free local calling area in the world". Rob Warnock Systems Architecture Consultant UUCP: {amdcad,fortune,sun,attmail}!redwood!rpw3 ATTmail: !rpw3 DDD: (415)572-2607 USPS: 627 26th Ave, San Mateo, CA 94403
rbd@neon.gatech.EDU (Richard B. Dervan) (05/20/88)
In article <21675@amdcad.AMD.COM> amdcad!amdcad!rpw3@ames.arc.nasa.gov (Rob Warnock) writes: >Yes, when I lived in Atlanta, it was said to have "the largest toll-free >local calling area in the world". Actually, a small city about 30 miles east of Metro Atlanta has a larger toll- free calling area than Atlanta. Conyers, Ga can place calls to the entire toll-free Metro area, plus to a few towns east of it, such as Covington, which people in Atlanta can not. -Richard | Richard B Dervan BitNet: ccoprrd@gitvm1 | | Office of Computing Services ARPA : neon!rbd@gatech.gatech.edu | | Georgia Institute of Technology or : rbd%neon@gatech.gatech.edu | | Atlanta, Ga 30332-0275 "If it was meant to be, it will be.| | (404)894-6808 (Work) If it wasn't, it still COULD be." | | uucp: ...!{decvax,hplabs,ihnp4,linus,rutgers}!gatech!neon!rbd |
woolsey@nsc.NSC.COM (Jeff Woolsey) (05/22/88)
Gee, and I thought Minneapolis/Saint Paul was the largest toll-free calling area in the world. It's about 75 miles from end to end. Three cheers for the home team and all that. -- -- Scrape 'em off, Jim! Jeff Woolsey National Semiconductor woolsey@nsc.NSC.COM -or- woolsey@umn-cs.cs.umn.EDU
davidsen@steinmetz.UUCP (William E. Davidsen Jr) (05/24/88)
Looking at the map in our phone book, the toll free area seems to be
about 60 mi wide by 75 high. Unfortunately there's no scale or markings
of exact city locations, and the areas delimited by exchange don't
follow any physical boundaries.
There are still some big ones out here.
--
bill davidsen (wedu@ge-crd.arpa)
{uunet | philabs | seismo}!steinmetz!crdos1!davidsen
"Stupidity, like virtue, is its own reward" -me