prgclb (11/19/82)
For those interested in the 900-line connection to Columbia, the following is text from an AT&T Long Lines news release dated November 16. "NASA's Space Shuttle line was discontinued at noon EST, with 756,763 domestic calls tallied. Overseas figures through Sunday midnight were 247,702, which gives us a total of more than one million calls. Overseas calling volumes through Monday midnight will be available later this afternoon (see next item) About 20,000 domestic calls were made to the line between 9 and 10 am EST, the hour during which Columbia touched down." Issued November 18: "Final tally for space shuttle phone calls: Domestic 760,892 Overseas 332,386 Total1,093,278" Comment: The overseas phone number is a DDD number. It was not issued to the public, because Bell wanted to keep lines open to the foreign press. Long Lines gave no profit figures, but at 50c for the first minute and 35c thereafter, you can bet they raked it in!! Carl Blesch Bell Labs, Indian Hill Naperville, Ill.