TELECOM Digest OnLine - Sorted: Re: Buyouts of AT&T, MCI Sign of Long Distance's Demise

Re: Buyouts of AT&T, MCI Sign of Long Distance's Demise

TELECOM Digest Editor (ptownson@massis.csail.mit.edu)
Mon, 28 Feb 2005 21:15:30 EST

Dave Close asked why toll alerting is still an issue:

> Of course, "long distance" may be dead, but we still have
> those, some of them on this list, who continue to insist on
> toll-alerting. Any possible value of that system gets less
> every day. I say to the advocates: isn't it about time to
> admit toll-alerting is a dead-end?

Lisa Hancock responded:

> Unlimited long distance is available reasonably cheaply for
> residential customers, but I think business customers still have
> to pay pretty high WATS rates. It's much cheaper today, but for
> businesses the meter is still running, so some controls make sense.

> Remember today business controls are much less than in years past.
> In the past, only big bosses would be able to dial outside, and
> still had to place toll calls with the PBX operator who would write
> up a toll ticket. Not like that today.

My question to Lisa and Dave, is WATS still offered by most telcos
these days? The theory was that bulk purchase of long distance (WATS)
got you a cheaper rate per call, when it wa purchased by the hour.
How much cheaper can it get? I thought WATS was now obsolete.

PAT

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