newsbytes@clarinet.com (01/18/90)
ATLANTA, GEORGIA, U.S.A., 1990 JAN 15 (NB) -- Southern Bell, which is having trouble over its rates with the Georgia Public Service Commission, wants to change the subject and introduce Caller ID. Southern Bell has asked the Georgia Public Service Commission for permission to offer Caller ID as part of the company's TouchStar service. With Caller ID service and a special piece of equipment, customers will be able to identify the telephone numbers of incoming calls from the immediate local calling area. If the Caller ID tariff is approved, the service will cost $7.50 a month for residence customers and $10 a month for single-line business customers. Customers who subscribe to the service will also need to purchase a separate display unit. If approved, Caller ID service will initially be offered in Athens and in a number of areas in metro Atlanta. There are also plans to offer Caller ID, as well as the other TouchStar service features, throughout Georgia in the next two years. At the recent Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Northern Telecom introduced the Maestro, the first telephone available to handle Caller ID services. (Dana Blankenhorn/19900116/Press Contact: Gene Parker, 404-391- 2478, Southern Bell)