little@SAIC.COM (Mike Little) (12/27/89)
Those FAX kiosks are beginning to appear not only in US Post Offices, hotel lobbies and airports but in such strange places as your grocery store, truck stops and donut stores. These systems work best for transmission usage. To receive FAX you must make out-of-band arrangements so that the transmitter knows both the kiosk phone number and time to send (these public access machines must have your charge code when reception occurs). To my knowledge, storage and retreival (mailbox) functions are still external. Some of the print shops, hotels and stationary stores getting into the act will provide these functions and now we get closer to 'electronic' mail. One vendor utilizes a PC/AT in their FAX kiosk and could, in theory, participate in e-mail along with FAX (they do not at this time). The Post Office FAX kiosk (in the northeast, at least) is a public facility external to the postal system just like a pay telephone. They rent the space and take part of the revenue generated. If anyone is interested, my brother is with one (there are only four) of these FAX kiosk companies and I will put you in touch with him for more information. -Mike