Re: BA's new flat rate -- its $249 per month for residents

[Renard Martin <rmartin@mnsinc.com>]

  At 05:50 PM 4/17/96 -0400, Fred R. Goldstein wrote:
  >It's on their web page now.  The will file for five call packs and one flat
  >rate.
  >
  >Pricing:
  >
  >Measured                $23.50
  >20 Hour Callpack         31.00
  >60 Hour Callpack         45.00
  >140 Hour Callpack        60.00
  >300 Hour Callpack        90.00
  >500 Hour Callpack       120.00
  >Flat Rate               249.00
  >
  >Go over your call pack and it's the full 2c day, 1c night usage fee.
  >
  >They have the temerity to call this a major rate reduction!
  >
  >Of course it is, compared to the old callpacks, but then their total
  >residential ISDN sales were somewhere below Lamborghini's car sales.
  >At the new rates, they're down to the Ferrari or maybe Porsche range.
  >
  >I guess they Just Don't Get It.
  >
  Okay does this mean if I got 2 B channels up for 5 minutes I am getting
  timed for 10 minutes or 5 minutes for both B channels?
  
  What about local voice calls? Will I be getting timed by the minute or will
  it be a flat rate charge?
  
  $249 for unlimited is f@#$ing stupid to me.  That is a rate that only
  business and rich folks will pay.  I would rather see a plan for $60 a month
  and you get 7pm to 7am and weekends at no charge and 7am to 7pm M-F at 2
  cents a minute.  That would discourage resi users from going 7X24 and If you
  want to go 7X24 it would cost approx $288 a month for at 2 cents a minute
  for 12 hours a day for 20 days a month and that would force the business and
  rich folks to pay the $249 for unlimited.
  
  Have these rates been filed yet or are we waiting for sometime this summer
  for them to be filed and then wait for approval by each state PUC.
  
  Will there be any additional cost plus the callpack?
  
  They were not very creative in coming up with this plan.  Its like they all
  got in a room and said "Since we have the highest rates in the US as long as
  we got 24 hour usage charges, let's make it look like we are doing good but
  we are still ripping them off.
  
  This is what I think it should be with each plan including flat rate for
  voice calls.  Callpack hours should only be based on data usage.
  
  Measured                 $23.50
  140 Hour Callpack         31.00
  300 Hour Callpack         45.00
  500 Hour Callpack         60.00
  Off Peak flat + Usage     75.00 (M-F 7am to 7pm .02 a minute usage)
  7X24 Unlimited            249.00
  
  Does this make since to anyone?
  
  I feel so-so about this new pricing.  I just think they could have did a
  better job but I guess that was wishfull thinking.
  
  Lets here some more opinions on this!
  
  
  -------------------------
  Renard (Marty) Martin
  rmartin@mnsinc.com
  martman.mnsinc.com
  Herndon, Virginia 22070