[techtalk] Metered calls (was: webads)

[Martin.Caitlyn at epamail.epa.gov]

Hi, Nils, and everyone else,

> (It's similar in Germany:) It's not that you have much of a choice when
> you're more or less forced to use what the monopoly gives to you. For
> instance the German Telekom (former state monopoly gone public) owns the
> last mile to the customer (and many of the smaller telcos have to lease
> their lines even for long distances). They charge the other telcos a) a
> fixed rate because they provide the wire and b) by the minute/second if
> they use those lines (e.g. even if I switched to another telco
completely,
> Telekom would get it's share metered). Not much of an incentive for the
> other telcos to give me unmetered access or a flat rate, is it?

Public pressure can change things, and our little global village, all
linked together by the Internet, helps immensely, as James pointed out.  I
need to catch up on what is happening in Israel, where much of my family
lives.  Bezeq (the state telecom monopoly) was charging by the minute for
all calls, but I believe that was going to change last I heard.  Their
rates made long stays on the Internet prohibitive for many, and that, plus
the fact that Israelis are cell-phone crazy (as in they give one to each
child to take to school, for example), was creating real public pressure
for change.

I definitely need to write Yossi (my cousin) and find out...

Best,
Caity

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Caitlyn M. Martin             martin.caitlyn at epa.gov
Systems Analyst              (919) 541-4441
Lockheed Martin
(a contractor for the US EPA)
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