From: Martin Janzen <janzen@idacom.hp.com>
Date: Sat, 7 Sep 1996 12:16:38 +0800
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: Junk Phone Calls, Metered Usage, and Cellphones
Message-ID: <9609070109.AA29863@sabel.idacom.hp.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



tcmay@got.net (Timothy C. May) writes:
>I am about to start worrying about "junk phone calls" more so than I have
>been. I just bit the bullet and bought a digital cellular phone, with a
>nifty rate plan called Digital Flex: I get unlimited free airtime from 7
>p.m. to 7 a.m. weekdays, and unlimited free airtime all weekend. From south
>of Salinas to north of Santa Rosa and as far east as the Central Valley. In
>other words, the entire Bay Area and outlying communities. I can send and
>receive calls over this entire region, from anywhere in the region (of
>course), without any charges.
>
>The downside is that calls _from_ or _to_ my phone during "business" hours
>are charged 42 cents a minute, airtime (tying up a channel and all), plus
>whatever other fees may be applicable at each end. Thus, every "junk call"
>I get trying to get me to buy aluminum siding, or to vote Democratic, or to
>switch my long-distance carrier (!), costs me a minimum of 42 cents,
>depending on how fast I can realize who they are and get rid of them

I have a similar plan.  My cell phone company includes call forwarding
in the package, so I deal with the possibility of junk calls by forwarding
calls from my cell phone to my regular number (which has voicemail)
during the day, then turning off the cell phone.  This way, the calls
are intercepted right at the switch (I assume), so no airtime is used,
and no charges are incurred.  Works for me...

--
Martin Janzen           janzen@idacom.hp.com