Wayne Bundrick
Senior HTF Member
- Joined
- May 17, 1999
- Messages
- 2,358
Comparing ANYTHING to the way long distance rates fell after the break-up of Ma Bell is going to be invalid.
The reason long distance rates fell is because long distance really is that cheap. Long distance rates were higher because long distance had been subsidizing local service, which is not cheap. And it made sense that long distance calls would have higher prices than local dialing. But then the government broke up Ma Bell, so it couldn't work that way anymore. Now long distance rates pay for long distance, and the local phone company expects you to pay for a house call to work on the wiring that they themselves installed in your house for free when it was built back in the days of Ma Bell.
The reason long distance rates fell is because long distance really is that cheap. Long distance rates were higher because long distance had been subsidizing local service, which is not cheap. And it made sense that long distance calls would have higher prices than local dialing. But then the government broke up Ma Bell, so it couldn't work that way anymore. Now long distance rates pay for long distance, and the local phone company expects you to pay for a house call to work on the wiring that they themselves installed in your house for free when it was built back in the days of Ma Bell.