Work at Home in PNW? Read this.

["McDermott, Stephen W" <Stephen -dot- McDermott -at- PSS -dot- BOEING -dot- COM>]

If you work at home, and wind up being on the web, please read the
following text that I received from http://www.sinclair.net/metered.htm

The potential effect on telecommuting and freelance work is enough to
warrant breaking my silence on this issue.

_______________________________________

US West will be seeking
Metered Rates for Local Calls Again

At the Washington Association of Internet Service Providers meeting in
Seattle on the 17th of September Senator, Bill Finkbeiner announced that
the ban on metered service for residential lines is about to expire. He
gave us a little background which was interesting.

It seems that the big Telephone companies first considered charging by
the minute for residential service a number of years ago. They have been
doing it in Europe for a long time, and felt that it would be a
profitable offering in the U.S. as well. When the idea was first
presented, the legislature in Washington State choose to place a ban on
this service for three years to give all concerned the opportunity to
study the need/demand for this service.

The ban has been extended twice but the last extension included a
"sunset" clause which will allow the ban to go away unless the
legislature addresses it again in the
next session. Since the next session is a short one (it's an election
year) it's going to take a lot of pressure to get this issue on the
table. The big Telephone Companies have spent huge amounts of time and
money to convince our lawmakers that this service is not only desirable
for residential line subscribers, but is in the best interest of their
stockholders.

Unless our legislators hear from us IN MASS on this subject, it is
unlikely that it will get mentioned and we will be faced with the
possibility of having to pay for any
call that we make on a per minute basis. It is imperative that everyone
take the time to contact their local Representatives and Senators and
demand that they
address this issue in the coming session. E-Mail will work, but if you
have the time to call, do it! Make it short and to the point, but be
sure that the message is clear.
The consumers of Washington State do not feel that metered residential
service will provide better service.
____________________________________________
As a side note,  when I lived in Scotland, British Telecom's annoying
habit of charging you by the minute for local calls warped my household
budget.  It created phone charges of around $100 a month WITH NO LONG
DISTANCE OR INTERNET USAGE!!!!

Stephen W. McDermott
2.19.6/2.6 Team Technical Writer
(425) 965-6683

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