From: Mike Fletcher <fletch@ain.bls.com>
Date: Tue, 10 Sep 1996 04:08:46 +0800
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: Junk Phone Calls, Metered Usage, and Cellphones
In-Reply-To: <Dy3VTD28w165w@bwalk.dm.com>
Message-ID: <9609091539.AA04462@outland>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



[ Telemarketer script removed, (spit :) ]
> 
> As you yourself point out, their charging you for each incoming call during
> business hours is unacceptable. Why don't they bill the 42c / minute to
> whomever is calling YOU, as they do with LD and 900 numbers?

	This is why I really like the service that I have.  I have a
"personal number" that is my voice, fax, pager, and voice mail.  If 
someone calls it, it asks them to wait while it locates me.  It then has
a list of numbers it calls to try and find me (desk at work, cell phone,
home phone after 5pm or weekends).  When I answer it tells me who's on
the phone, and if I don't want to talk to them I just hit a key and throw
them to the voice mail wolves.

	As for billing the caller, from what I hear at work I think 
it's because of problems with the way the cellular network does billing
that (currently) make caller-pays cellular undoable.  But that's a telephony 
problem and I'm just the resident UNIX weenie. :)

---
Fletch                                                     __`'/|
fletch@ain.bls.com  "Lisa, in this house we obey the       \ o.O'    ______
404 713-0414(w)      Laws of Thermodynamics!" H. Simpson   =(___)= -| Ack. |
404 315-7264(h) PGP Print: 8D8736A8FC59B2E6 8E675B341E378E43  U      ------