From: anonymous-remailer@shell.portal.com
Date: Sun, 4 Aug 1996 15:47:58 +0800
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: fbi, crypto, and defcon
In-Reply-To: <199608040258.VAA06801@sr.radiks.net>
Message-ID: <199608040606.XAA20028@jobe.shell.portal.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


> >At 8:50 8/2/96, Paul J. Bell wrote:
> >An international phone call costs about 2 cents/min to produce. The average
> >rate paid for by the consumer is 62 cents. That's means the carriers mark
> >up this particular product by an amazing 3000%.
> >
> >Can you name another business that has comparable mark-ups?
> The Medical Industry.
> PGP encrypted mail preferred.  
> E-Mail me for my key.
> Scott J. Schryvers <schryver@radiks.net>

You guys are confused.  The actual telephone call may cost only 2
cents/min, but the accounting and billing procedures are way more
expensive.  As long as they are doing any kind of usage-based
charging, that actual act of charging will continue to cost
considerably more than the data transmission.

Why do you think sending long-distance IP packets is basically free?

- Tom