The going rates for businesses in our area (south Texas, using Southwestern
Bell) is to bill by the minute, with start/stop time and ring-time measured
and billed in 6-second increments. If your party answers before the 3rd
ring, there's no ring charge. It they answer between the 2nd & 4th ring,
there's a 6-second charge. If they answer after the 4th ring, there's a
full minute charge. The main portion of the call is billed by the minute,
with your final minute being charged in 6-second increments. Southwestern
Bell has a near monopoly here, but the competition (after their lure-in,
loss-leader specials) is worse, since the also have to pay Southwestern Bell
to use the same trunk lines... -sigh-
Ed Tillman
edward.tillman_at_valero.com <mailto:edward.tillman_at_valero.com>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: cctalk-admin_at_classiccmp.org_at_PEUSA On Behalf Of chris
> <cb_at_mythtech.net>
> Sent: Wednesday, January 22, 2003 1:05 PM
> To: Classic Computer
> Subject: Re: A plea to classiccmpers
>
> >Pay by the minute for connection time? You're getting screwed.
>
> Maybe they are, but from what I gather, that is not unusual outside the
> USA.
>
> Even here in the USA, if you are on a dialup connection, and calling from
> a business... guess what, you are probably paying by the minute. Most
> business lines in the USA are billed per minute of connect time (or
> worse, by the "message unit").
>
> -
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Received on Thu Jan 23 2003 - 01:13:00 GMT