Re: ISDN Rate Increase In Alabama

["Fred R. Goldstein" <fgoldstein@bbn.com>]

  At 05:07 PM 7/31/96 -0400, Lois Phillips (aka BellSouth) wrote:
  
  >     BellSouth's proposed tariff on MegaLink ISDN in Alabama clearly
  >states the introduction of a flat-rate option to this private-line
  >service, in contrast to Mr. Lesher's assertion that the company proposes
  >to offer "volume usage" pricing.  (Incidentally, MegaLinkR ISDN is a
  >service geared toward our larger business customers, and is not targeted
  >to residential customers.)  Indeed, pricing for this and other private
  >line services is already on a usage basis..  We are simply adding a flat
  >rate option for MegaLink ISDN customers.  This is not a rate increase, by
  >the way.  We hope this clears up any confusion on the matter.
  
  First off, is MegaLink just their name for Primary Rate ISDN?  I think
  the same name is used for PRI someplace else; if that's the case then
  it isn't relevant to the BRI rate discussion.  PRI and BRI prices are
  usually computed on different bases here.
  
  But I do take exception to Ms. Phillips' characterizing MegaLink as a
  "private line" service.  ISDN's a switched service, a link into the
  public switched telephone network, not a private line.
  
  Perhaps she's stuck in some odd BellSouthisms surrounding PRI.  I would
  actually like to hear what their current tariff looks like.  Last year I
  tried to figure out the BellSouth PRI tariff. Literally nobody could help
  me, not even the product manager!  It seems that they priced it not as one
  offering, but as components that were priced - and sometimes billed - 
  separately.  So you got charged for the T1 local loop, for the switch T1
  port, for the D channel, for each B channel, for "Network Access Registers"
  for each B channel, for line hunting on each B channel, and for a usage
  plan (flat rate was the norm, but measured was available, with a minimum,
  in most of their states) for each channel.  Or maybe some of those didn't
  apply to all channels.  Nobody knew, and we had a lot of trouble reconciling
  the bills!  Supposedly they were going to fix it up by now.
  
  A second item:  Does BellSouth plan to change its flat-rate ISDN BRI
  residential tariff?  One rumor is that they plan to impose a threshold
  rate, like US West's.  Another is that they plan to go to measured rates,
  like Deutche Bundespost Telekom's, even though virtually all analog lines
  (even business) in most BS territories are flat rated.  Are these rumors
  founded?  Enquiring minds want to know....
  ---
  Fred R. Goldstein     k1io    fgoldstein@bbn.com   +1 617 873 3850
  Opinions are mine alone.  Sharing requires permission.