From: Apache <apache@bear.apana.org.au>
Date: Fri, 1 Aug 1997 20:58:41 +0800
To: cypherpunks@cyberpass.net
Subject: Re: "Telco Terrorism" -- Wired on Baby Bells v. the Net
In-Reply-To: <199708010535.HAA23978@basement.replay.com>
Message-ID: <199708011218.WAA00840@bear.apana.org.au>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



   Anonymous said:


>   If the telcos don't want to use efficient, effective technology
>to render service to their customers, then I certainly wouldn't
>want to *force* them to do so. However, neither do I want to be
>*forced* to pay exhorbitant rates because the telecos want to
>maintain a sloppily run monopoly on the services I have to choose
>from.

When satellite dish receive/broadcast services become common watch the 
scramble by telcos to update and offer cheap high speed links. Of course 
by then a lot of folks will just say fuck them. Here for your amusement 
are some sample prices offered by our very own blood sucking Telstra 
leech in our very own monopoly/oligopoly market (hard to say exactly what 
it is but there's no effective competition due to decades of government 
monopoly status:

All figures in Australian play money
====================================
Qoute from Toll$tra's web page: "Depending on your access speed, there is 
a low cost, flat monthly pricing for permanent modems or a two-tier price 
structure based on ussage for dedicated access ports pf 64 kbps and 
above."

Then if you dig and I do mean *dig* around on Toll$tra's web page you 
will eventually come across the actual pricing data if your lucky 
(depending on how you look at it).

Well now I just went to their web site and behold; in their wisdom and in 
their position as a internet provider they have removed(!) the pricing 
information on the page. You now have to ring them (I just tried..no 
answer) or email them (tried that 4 hours ago no reply so far) so I'll 
just post from memory. These figures will be wrong but they give some 
idea:

Permanent modem 33.6 connection: about $400 per month (plus call costs)
ISDN 64k: about $1000 per month plus 19 cents/Mb for data received over 
about 25 percent usage
ISDN 128k: about $2000 per month plus usage as above
DDS/FRAME relay: Astronomical $$$$$$$$ per month plus usage per above.
Establishment fee for the above: $1000 - $2000
Upgrade fee from to a new level: Same as establishment fee

I note with great interest an independent provider in New Zealand which
has a better competitive market situation in this area than Australia
(and a lot of other things I might add) offers a user account with up to
500kbs satellite feed for $79 (NZ) /mnth flat plus installation of $79 
plus you must by the satellite dish ($699). I would assume you can't 
resell bandwidth on this set up so the two are not directly comparable.

Oh yes and back to the topic, Telstra here trot out the same garbage as 
in the original post trying to justify timed local calls every year or 
so. Thus far they have been beaten...but only just. Technical solutions 
and a free market will be the only long term solutions, as we would 
expect.

-- 
   .////.   .//    Charles Senescall             apache@bear.apana.org.au
 o:::::::::///                                   apache@quux.apana.org.au
>::::::::::\\\     Finger me for PGP PUBKEY            Brisbane AUSTRALIA
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