Maryland Email Comments on ISDN From: Fred Lively Subject: Bell Atlantic's ISDN Tariff Request Dear Commissioners, I regret having to miss the public hearing on this issue. In lieu of my live input I would like to offer the following observations based on over a year of trying to get straight answers and ISDN circuits from Bell Atlantic. My first experience with Bell Atlantic and ISDN service involved trying to get circuits for the Calvert County Public Library system. I spent about six months trying to find someone who would give the same answer twice as to costs, etc. That never did happen while I was dealing with the government services side of Bell Atlantic. I was given varying base monthly costs estimates which all were in addition to a two cents per minute, per channel charge for a BRI circuit. They were quite eager to sell me 56K Frame Relay circuits for between $150-$175 each per month depending on who I was talking to. I finally got tired of incompetent representatives and strangely elastic pricing schemes and called the small business side of Bell Atlantic. I presented myself as the representative of a "book and video franchise". Within one day I had solid quotes for Centrex based 128K ISDN BRI circuits (CustoFlex 2100) which would cost $90 per month for connections on the same wiring frame and $90 per month plus mileage for connections outside my wiring frame. The library now has six flat rate ISDN BRI circuits costing a total of $287 per month (this price will rise to $807 per month when the Prince Frederick CO is upgraded to provide ISDN services since I'm now being charged for service out of a CO which eliminates all mileage charges). The estimate from the government side - Metered ISDN with no clear base price or 56K Frame at $450-$525 to connect three satellite branches to the main branch. The actual cost from the small business side - Centrexed 128K ISDN BRI circuits costing $90 plus mileage for out of wiring frame connections. My second experience with Bell Atlantic is as the Technology Coordinator for the Calverton School. I spent about a week getting run around by Bell Atlantic -- they had caught on to the "book and video franchise" angle so it was no longer an option -- before contacting a local Internet Service Provider to work out an arrangement. Fortunately the local provider is community oriented and was eager to help. I have arranged for him to order and maintain a Centrexed ISDN BRI ciruit connecting the school to his primary service center. This enabled him to order from the small business side of Bell Atlantic and once again - magically it took one day to get a solid price quote $286 per month for an out of wiring frame ciruit with installation possible in three weeks. While I think a $186 per month surcharge to pass a circuit from the Prince Frederick wiring frame to the Owings wiring frame is tantamount to price gouging, I was able to at least get a straight price and a straigh answer. My third experience with Bell Atlantic and ISDN is indirect and as a participant in the Sailor Project while serving as the Technical Services representative at the Calvert Co. Public Library. In this instance I have seen incredible delays in installation and unstable service on numerous occassions. A T-1 ISDN circuit scheduled for installation during July 1994 was not finally installed until January 1996! Much of the blame for this can be laid on mismanagement on the part of Sailor but much is caused by unreasonable price structures in place at Bell Atlantic which caused unnecessarily complex circuit designs to avoid project killing prices. Sailor was openly running data over voice lines to avoid the incredibly high data rate charges which would have been incurred to run a state-wide network. This is once again very interesting when contrasted to the flat rate fee charged to our local Internet Service Provider for a T-1 ISDN circuit. While Sailor should have purchased data lines to run data, Bell should have priced those data lines using the same reasonable price scheme available to small businesses. In short, my experiences with Bell Atlantic have been with a company exhibiting incompetence and miscommunication at best and marginal ethical conduct at worst. If we want our schools, libraries, businesses and individuals to benefit from the potential of the information age we must provide sufficient access at reasonable rates. Bell Atlantic should be required to offer the same services to public enterprises as they offer to the private sector. Simple, clear price schedules should be established which are uniform for all customers. Rates should be flat and reasonable to allow individuals and organizations to properly plan and budget for ISDN service. Mileage surcharges should be brought in line with actual costs incurred rather than used to pad profit margins. Public Service Commissions in states as diverse as Delaware, Arkansas, Michigan, Illinois, Ohio and Tennessee to name a few have looked out for the public interest and established reasonalbe ISDN tariffs. I sincerely hope you rise to the challenge of safeguarding the people of Maryland when considering Bell Atlantic's dubious proposals as well. I do not think it overstates the case to say our ability to teach our children and sustain a modern economy capable of competing with other regions is in your hands. I beseech you to act accordingly. Fred L. Lively 11423 Rawhide Road Lusby MD 20657 Phone: (Home) 410-326-2154 (Work) 410-535-0216 E-Mail: VrtualFred@worldnet.att.net --- Date: Tue, 02 Jul 1996 15:09:32 +0000 From: "Stuart A. Naquin" I am writing you at this time to lt you know that I am concerned about BellAtlantic's proposed rates for Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) service. Certaninly $249 a month for unlimited use is too prohibiting, and I would think a flat rate in the range of regular phone service would be more reasonable. thanks, Stuart Naquin --- Date: 2 JUL 96 10:00:03 EDT From: NOslik@os.dhhs.gov Subject: ISDN rate hearing for Bell Atlantic State of Maryand Public Service Commission Re: ISDN Tariff, Bell Atlantic Transmittal 963, Dated June 3, 1996 (ML#52550) I am writing in opposition to the Bell Atlantic ISDN BRI residential rate filing and in support of the Commission establishing ISDN rates that are consistent with the cost of service delivery and will benefit the largest number of Maryland residents.. I write as a twenty-year resident of Maryland concerned about wise economic decisions for our state, as a networking professional who understands the potential of ISDN to significantly expand the fruits of the information age to a much wider audience, and as a member of Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility, a non-profit pubic interest organization promoting the socially responsible use of information technology (the views expressed are my own). My submission will be brief as I know that others have addressed the main points in more detail. I wish to make three key points. 1. REASONABLY-PRICED ISDN SERVICE IS IMPORTANT TO EXPANDING ACCESS TO INFORMATION RESOURCES. The past year has seen a dramatic growth in the range of information resources available on-line via the Internet and the number of people attempting to access those services. The same reports reiterate the widespread frustration of residential and small business users with available modem-based transmission rates. ISDN is an alternative that greatly enhances computer to computer communications. It is a bridge technology to the solutions of tomorrow (all of which are several years into the future for large-scale deployment). It is available today. Lack of its deployment can only hinder our move to an information-based economy and society. 2. FLAT RATE ISDN SERVICE, PRICED ONLY SLIGHTLY ABOVE CURRENT BASIC RESIDENTIAL SERVICE, IS CONSISTENT WITH ACTUAL COSTS AND WILL PROVIDE BELL ATLANTIC A REASONABLE RATE OF RETURN. Recent action by the State of Delaware and tariffs of phone companies in several other states demonstrate that the service need not be priced high or on a usage basis. Independent studies have estimated the incremental cost over residential POTS ("plain old telephone service") is only a few dollars. Filings in past years by local exchange carriers corroborated this viewpoint. Further, usage is not the driving cost factor. The largest part of the cost of providing phone service is in maintaining the lines from the central office to the home. 3. FAIRNESS DICTATES THAT THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION SERVE THE BROADEST PUBLIC INTEREST BY KEEPING ISDN RATES LOW. In the absence of real competition (my choice of ISDN providers is currently one), the PSC needs to protect the public interest and ensure that rates are set as low as possible while providing Bell Atlantic a reasonable rate of return consistent with other basic services. Thank you for your consideration. Norman Oslik 3020 Parkway Cheverly MD 20785 (301) 322-5272 noslik@erols.com --- Date: Thu, 27 Jun 1996 20:30:52 -0400 From: djg@tas.com (David Gesswein) To: isdn@psc.state.md.us Subject: Say no to Bell Atlantic ISDN tarrif David Gesswein 10024 Woodhill Rd Bethesda, MD 20817 Dear Commissioners, I am writing in regards to the ISDN Tariff Bell Atlantic Transmittal 963, Dated June 3, 1996. I have been a resident of Maryland for my entire life and currently have two standard phone lines used for talking with other people and accessing the internet. I would like an ISDN line for my home for faster internet access and for the fast call setup time and digital voice quality. I think that the tariffs proposed by Bell Atlantic are excessive and should not be approved. The per minute charges of 1 to 2 cents per minute which is $.60 to $2.40 per hour depending on time of day and number of B channels used will require most people to try to estimate the use of the line and pick a packaged number of monthly hours. This can be quite difficult since monthly usage will vary and if you underestimate you will have to may the much higher per minute rate and if you overestimate you pay for service you are not using. The rates for a reasonable number of hours seem quite high. From the information I have seen at least five states have unlimited ISDN prices at under $35 with a low of $18. Many other states have it prices under $70. Bell Atlantic is wanting $249 for the same service. I don't think that it can cost Bell Atlantic near that amount to provide the service. Since ISDN is not that different from current phone service and will be used for similar purposes I think they should not be allowed to price it excessively above cost. From what I understand the additional cost to the phone company of a digital line is not that much since the primary difference is the interface on the line to the home. Because of this I would recommend a low flat rate like current phone service. Right now there is no competition for local phone services so the Public Service Commission is the only thing preventing Bell Atlantic from charging excessive rates. It would be better for Maryland if they priced ISDN so that they make their money off of having lots of users at reasonable prices instead of off a few people at very high rates. There is some concern that digital lines will be used for longer times and that probably will be true initially as the people who are using the lines for modems now switch over to ISDN. If and only if the actual costs to Bell Atlantic support it then a few service levels might be acceptable. In that case the basic $23.50 rate should come with enough hours to cover a large percentage of users with a couple other categories for higher usage including unlimited. The rate for unlimited usage should not be priced excessive since I think it is in the interest of Maryland for citizens to be able to setup sites for sharing information with the rest of Maryland and the world via the internet. There has been progress on giving Maryland citizens access via schools and libraries to the internet and it would be a shame to not allow people provide information at a reasonable cost. Currently to provide others access to information on your computer it has to be connected which requires a large number of hours of phone line time if the information is to be available when people wish to access it. In summary I suggest you require Bell Atlantic to provide ISDN service close to the additional cost of providing digital access to the phone system over the current analog access. Sincerely, David Gesswein --- Date: Mon, 1 Jul 1996 18:29:19 -0400 (EDT) From: Larry Hunter To: ISDN@psc.state.md.us Subject: comments on ISDN rates Dear Members of the Maryland Public Service Commission; I am a Bell Atlantic residential ISDN customer in Potomac, MD, writing to urge the PSC to reduce the outrageous tariff Bell Atlantic is requesting for residential ISDN. I am a computer scientist by profession, and because of my training, it is easier for me to adopt new technology than most people. I use the internet regularly from home, for a wide variety of purposes. For example, I have found very useful information about a medical conditions important to my family. More recreationally, I buy books and compact disks from internet merchants, participate in several community service discussion groups on-line, and communicate with friends overseas at affordable rates. During inclement weather this winter, I "telecommuted" and continued to do my work while others were stranded. And, of course, the internet is increasingly important for access to public officials, as this email message documents. I am also the Washington, DC area chapter chair of computer professionals for social responsibility (CPSR). CPSR is a national non-profit organization that addresses computer and telecommunications issues as they effect society at large. In order to take full advantage of the net, I demand a high speed connection. I was one of the first subscribers to Bell Atlantic's residential ISDN service. High speed connections are qualitatively different than slower modems. People using ISDN don't have the same complaints about endless waits for world-wide-web pages to download that you see in many popular accounts. The internet practically requires high speed connections to take reasonable advantage of it, and if ISDN were available at reasonable prices, many people would substitute it for their current relatively slow modems. I find Bell Atlantic's rate structure for ISDN to be unconscionable. In a typical month, I am billed approximately $80-90 for what I consider to be quite moderate use. I always use 2B channels, which is what costs me so much; the whole point of residential ISDN is bandwidth -- using just one channel is only a modest increment over POTS and analog modems! I compare the $80-90 a month that I pay to my friends around the country: A friend in Ohio tells me she pays $32 a month for unlimited service. My sister in California pays only $29.50 for flat rate ISDN service. I read a newspaper story saying that the Delaware PSC approved a flat rate ISDN tariff of just $28.02 a month for Bell Atlantic! In addition to my own interests in seeing a reasonable ISDN tariff, as the CPSR chapter chair, I would like to raise the issue of universal service. Bell Atlantic's proposed tariffs are so high that many Maryland residents would be unable to afford ISDN service. It is only the proposed tariff that stands in the way: The other costs of high speed access are fairly low: any old computer will work, and several Internet Service Providers are offering ISDN service at no additional cost (e.g. Erol's charges only $14/month). The sole barrier to making high speed internet connections available to people of modest means is Bell Atlantic's outrageous tariff. I also recently sent a comment in support of the PSC's efforts to increase competition in local service. In the proposed ISDN tariff, I once again see Bell Atlantic's monopolistic approach to pricing -- gouging the Maryland ratepayers for all we are worth. It's time to put a stop to it. I urge the Maryland PSC to bring the outrageous proposed tariffs into conformance with the significantly lower rates elsewhere in the country, and adopt a flat rate ISDN tariff of under $30 per month. Sincerely, Lawrence Hunter 12820-A River Road Potomac, MD 20854 hunter@intr.net --- Date: Fri, 28 Jun 1996 14:18:18 -0400 To: ISDN@psc.state.md.us From: Chad Subject: PSC Tarriff Maybe i as missing something here...over ten states have already adopted a flat rate residential ISDN with reasonable pricing from $18 to $40 a month for unlimited ISDN. Currently in maryland it is $229?!? As if that was not enough, now you want to put a tariff on ISDN?!? What is going on?!?! Is maryland moving in the wrong direction?? Maybe the phone company isn't selling enough ISDN sales so to get more money they should put a tariff on it. Maybe they should go the other way with flat rate ISDN and get the thousands of people that cant afford $229 dollars a month and or the 2 cents a minute connect times to the phone company, and offer them the flat rate ISDN and get all those people to sign up! I would be the first to sign up! Certainly rasing the already outrage price of ISDN in maryland inst not going to make residential and or businesses want to purchase it.. Why would a business want to move into Maryland at $229 a month when they could move into the state next door (delaware) for $29 a month?!?! It seems that all the other states are going to flat rate ISDN why is Maryland still charging $229 and wanting more?!?!?! Chad Gibson dynastar@fred.net Maryland: The greediest state??? Lets hope not! --- Date: Fri, 28 Jun 1996 00:25:41 -0700 From: Art Kosatka To: isdn@psc.state.md.us Subject: ISDN Hearings 963 Bell Atlantic rates. I am Art Kosatka, 17313 Buehler Road, Olney MD 20832. I work for a small 8(a) technology planning and design firm in Bethesda. We are fully aware of the benefits of the Internet, and the even greater benefits that can be had by small, struggling companies to compete in the rapidly changing technological environment. If the Bell Atlantic rates prevail, we simply won't be able to participate at the office, and the residential rates are even more ludicrous. The pricing they have proposed is out of reach to all but the very wealthy... it's a step back to monopolistic practices declared illegal years ago. The phone company is making obscene profits already. remember just a few years ago when they would have preferred to concentrate ONLY on long distance markets, but the courts brought in competition, so the carriers created a local rate structure which has brought them record profits. There is no valid reason to extend that excessive profit capability to what is fast becoming a necessity, not a luxury, for small and home-based businesses. --- From: Anil John To: "'ISDN@psc.state.md.us.'" Subject: ISDN Tariff Protest ----- Bell Atlantic Transmittal 963, Dated June 3, 1996 Date: Mon, 1 Jul 1996 20:54:55 -0400 ISDN Tariff Protest ----- Bell Atlantic Transmittal 963, Dated June 3, 1996 Hello, I am a small business owner who lives in Baltimore County. I have lived here for the last 16 years. I use the internet on a daily basis, both for professional and personal use and am writing to youto protest Bell Atlantic's $249/month flat rate tariff. I am a partner in a Internet Web Development company and ISDN access is very important to me. At a time that Maryland is trying to attract business, outrageous pricing practices such as the ones demonstrated by Bell Atlantic should not be tolerated. On Tuesday June 18, 1996, the Delaware Public Service Commission ruled against Bell Atlantic's tariff proposal and approved a flat rate of $28.02 per month. The rate INCLUDES the current tariffed rates for residential dial tone, unlimited residential local usage, and touch tone. The actual rate appearing in the tariff for just the ISDN service will be $12.92 per month. This is but one example of what a reasonable pricing for ISDN should be. While many telephone companies are offering ISDN with unlimited usage for $17-$30 per month, BA charges $45 for a mere 30 hours of usage (based on 2B+D). ISDN should be a Basic Service, not one that is Discretionary. BA would like it to be discretionary so higher fees could be assessed. That it should be a basic service is clear--there is no practical alternative to ISDN, as a monopoly BA faces no competition in providing ISDN, and other telephone companies treat ISDN as basic. Please consider these facts when you make a ruling and rule on the side of the consumer... Thank you.. Anil John ___________________________________________________________ CyberForge Group LLC * Internet Consulting E-Mail: ajohn@cyberforge.com * WWW Publishing 410-597-8139 * LAN & WAN Integration URL: http://www.cyberforge.com --- Date: Fri, 28 Jun 1996 22:17:19 -0400 To: ISDN@psc.state.md.us From: aes@us.net (Andrew Szymkowiak) Subject: re: ML#52550; ISDN Tariff Bell Atlantic Transmittal 963, Dated June 3, 1996 To whom it may concern: I would like to offer several comments re: Bell Atlantic's proposed ISDN tariff. Their proposal does not serve either consumers or the state of Maryland well. The proposed rates are much too high, especially compared to the cost of providing this service. Maryland has always been relatively attractive to "high tech" employers; the state has, in the past, offered good infrastructure, and a well educated work force. Many of these workers could "telecommute" if the costs of relatively fast connections were reasonable. This would simultaneously increase the attractiveness of the State to employers, and reduce the numbers of commuters (and the costs of providing transportation infrastructure). These are more than academic considerations - my wife and I are both physicists, and our places of employment are 40 miles apart, and we both can perform a large fraction of our duties electronically. Thank you for your consideration, Andrew E. Szymkowiak 1602 S. Rolling Road Relay, MD 21227 Andrew Szymkowiak aes@us.net --- Date: Tue, 25 Jun 1996 19:11:58 -0400 To: ISDN@psc.state.md.us From: jjw@us.net (John Woodruff) Subject: ISDN Tariff - Bell Atlantic Transmittal 963, Dated June 3, 1996 [This is a copy of a letter being mailed to the Commission. We appreciate the opportunity to file comments electronically.] 25 June, 1996 Daniel P. Gahagan Executive Secretary Maryland Public Service Commission 16th Floor 6 St. Paul Street Baltimore, MD 21202-6806 Re: ISDN Tariff - Bell Atlantic Transmittal 963, Dated June 3, 1996 Dear Mr. Gahagan, Commissioners: US Net is an Internet Service Provider, with offices in Silver Spring and Laurel, Maryland. We have been in the Internet Service business for almost three years. I feel that our experiences attempting to sell ISDN Internet access will be relevant to the Commission's decision regarding Bell Atlantic's Proposed Residential ISDN pricing. We have listed ISDN access on our price sheets for several months. When we explain the benefits of ISDN, customers are universally enthralled. When we describe the Bell Atlantic charges involved, that enthusiasm instantly changes to disgust, and a sale is instantly lost. Explanation of the proposed pricing does not reverse that feeling. It is also not unusual for the no-longer-prospective customer to ask "How can Bell Atlantic get away with that?". Our investment in ISDN lines and equipment is sorely underutilized. It is clear to us that the pricing involved prevents Maryland Internet consumers from reaping any benefit from ISDN technology. It is also clear that pricing similar to the recent Delaware PSC ruling would completely reverse this lack of consumer interest, and allow full use of the untapped potential in ISDN service. Please hold the concerns of Maryland consumers foremost in your minds while you consider this filing. (signed) John J. Woodruff, Vice President --- John Woodruff - jjw@us.net - 301-572-5926 Washington, DC area Internet Service Providers - $6.95/Month for full PPP/SLIP! --- From: "David Glass" To: Subject: ISDN RATES Date: Wed, 3 Jul 1996 15:26:58 -0400 The proposed rates are RIDICULOUS! Someone needs to do something about it!!! I would love to have an unlimited ISDN line but I might not ever be able to afford it here in MD. If it only costs Bell Atlantic about $9.00 more a month than regular service than why not charge only $9.00 more a month? The $250 dollars/month for unlimited use is being ridiculous. It is not fair. Bell Atlantic being a monopoly should not be able to charge this much. Especially when other companies only charge around $30.00/month. I hope enough people realize what is going on and get with it. What else can I do to help stop the greedy people at Bell Atlantic? Sincerely, David Glass http://www.bcpl.lib.md.us/~dglass/mentaljewelry.html --- Date: Sun, 30 Jun 1996 06:27:00 -0400 (EDT) From: E Brooks Subject: To: isdn@psc.state.md.us To Whom It May Concern: The residential ISDN rates proposed by Bell Atlantic are totally out of line with with other states and even Bell Atlantic's rate in Tennessee. The flat rate between $20 to $40 seems to be the range in a lot of other states. Even these rates will be a hardship to a lot of residential consumers. We are not all business people working out of our homes, with business income to offset these charges. Please look out for the residential, non-business consumer when setting these rates. Bell Atlantic can easily identify the residences with business lines, so that shouldn't be a problem. Thank you. Ernest Brooks My name is Bond. James Bond Her Majesty's Secret Service Agt. 007 x 2 E Brooks a007007t@bcfreenet.seflin.lib.fl.us --- Date: Fri, 28 Jun 1996 00:27:36 -0700 From: Art Kosatka To: psc@ari.ari.net Subject: ISDN Don't Let Them Do It. Low residential rates are now a necessity, not a luxury, for small or home-based businesses. --- Date: Sat, 29 Jun 1996 15:06:47 -0400 (EDT) From: Jack Lattimore To: ISDN@psc.state.md.us Subject: ISDN rates Dear sir/madam, It has recently come to my attention that Bell Atlantic is requesting exorbitant rates for residential ISDN in Maryland - something on the order of $249 per month for the flat rate option. These rates are way out of line both in regard to cost of providins such service and also wiht regard to pricing levels set in many other states including Delaware aand other nearby states. I hope the PSC will consider real co consumer' _ Jack Lattimore --- Date: Sun, 30 Jun 96 20:07:01 From: "Michael H. Hall Sr" Subject: ISDN rate proposal To: isdn@psc.state.md.us To: MD Public Service Commission Ref: Bell Atlantic Rate Proposal for Residential ISDN service What I have read and heard about the ISDN rate proposal over the last several months has been more than adequate evidence that Bell Atlantic has an unfair monopoly position on telecommunications in this state. The governor and other public figures continue to talk about the need for Hi-Tech infastructure in this state. Residential ISDN service is one of the many foundation stones of this "infastructure". Bell Atlantic is currently making a more than adequate profit in this state. The proposals that I hear from BA appear that show that BA is unwilling to use some of those profits for investment in this state, particuarly when that investment has the potential to generate revenues for years to come. My dismay over the ISDN situation has degenerated to the point where I have almost given up on Maryland's implementation of this technology. Last year, I was going to join BA's test group (I was a sub-contractor to BA at the time). When I attempted to order the service, I was advised that I could not make ISDN my primary service (replace my current phone service). So, I have to have two lines with the second line (ISDN) available on a metered only service. There has to be a compromise between BA's rate request given the rate policies seen in other states. I would hope that a rate of say $40/month with a "allowance" for 5 hours per day usage might be a good mid-point. I would hope that youse guys would find the wisdom to find an intermediate course here..... but aren't youse guys the same folks that allowed BA to require 10 digit dialing in this state. ------------------------------------- Michael H. Hall Sr 7919 Lynch Rd.; Dundalk, MD 21222 Date: 6/30/96 Time: 8:07:01 PM --- Date: Sat, 29 Jun 1996 03:35:13 -0400 To: ISDN@psc.state.md.us From: Brad Knowles Subject: ISDN Tariff Bell Atlantic Transmittal 963, Dated June 3, 1996 Daniel P. Gahagan Executive Secretary Maryland Public Service Commission 16th Floor 6 St. Paul Street Baltimore, MD 21202-6806 Dear Sirs and Madam, I write to you today in response to the ISDN Tariff Bell Atlantic Transmittal 963, Dated June 3, 1996. Although I am not today a resident of Maryland, many of my friends whom I help on computer-related matters are, and I consider it as much my home as the District or Virginia. As with many things in the past, what happens in one of these three can deeply affect the other two. Towards that end, it is important to make sure that things are done right the first time, lest the same mistakes be repeated elsewhere and the effects linger on horribly for years or decades. I am thirty years old, currently a resident of the City of Alexandria in Virginia, and I've lived in this same apartment complex for several years. I was first introduced to the concept of ISDN while an employee of the Defense Information Systems Agency back in 1989, and was immediately struck by the elegant concept of not having to take digital data, turn it into analog sounds, then redigitize that data for transmission to the remote end, where that process would have to be reversed. Not only would the quality of the transmission be greatly increased, but by avoiding the intermediate redigitization steps, significant increases in capacity could be achieved. To me, this seemed to be an ideal technical solution to a whole host of problems. I decided then and there that I wanted to get ISDN installed for myself as soon as it was feasible to do so, and I'm still waiting. Today, I work for America Online, the largest Online Service Provider in the world. We have over six million users, but we also have a problem. Many of the most interesting technologies (already here or upcoming, such as the world-wide web, interactive multimedia, virtual worlds, streaming audio, videoconferencing, etc) are bandwidth-starved. Even 28.8 modems are barely enough to satisfy the requirements of the world-wide web, and even then they are becoming less and less capable as more and more sites add more multimedia content in an attempt to draw and sustain more visitors. If we can't continue to provide new and unique content, and deliver that to the customer in a reasonably timely fashion for a reasonable price, the whole thing will ultimately come crashing down. And that's very unfortunate, because as was stated in ACLU vs. Reno "As the most participatory form of mass speech yet developed, the Internet deserves the highest protection from governmental intrusion." But to keep this new form of speech free, we have to have participation. And we can only have participation if we can keep users interested, and that can only happen if the necessary high-speed access is universal. ISDN clearly isn't the ultimate basic Internet access method, but it's here today (if only it can get tariffed at a reasonable rate), and is a good stepping stone to the technologies around the corner (the ADSL family, cable modems, etc). As I'm sure you've heard, the U.S. economy is moving away from an agrarian/manufacturing economy, and towards a service/information economy. The Internet clearly represents the present health and well-being of America Online, as well as the future of the U.S. economy, and the economy of the rest of the world, but this doesn't do us much good if we let the LECs kill the thing before it ever really gets a chance to take off. We must act now to ensure our present, as well as the future of our grandchildren and this world that we have borrowed from them. The most immediate step we must take to is guarantee universal high-speed access to the Internet to anyone who wants it. Bell Atlantic will try to tell you that they have to recoup the cost of installing SS7 across all their switches, because that software is required for supporting ISDN. That's simply not true. They ordered virtually every single modern switch pre-loaded with virtually all the software it could possibly be installed with, including the base SS7. They've already recouped this cost from the average ratepayer in the form of necessary fees to pay for upgrading the infrastructure, and they should not be allowed to charge users for that cost a second time. Bell Atlantic will also try to tell you that ISDN should be priced according to its value to the customer, not according to their cost. However, they are a monopoly, and one of the things a monopoly has to do is guarantee universal access to basic services, at a fixed amount above their cost to provide those services. Until there is real competition in the local loop to cause the market forces to take over, they should not be allowed to price anything based on its value to the customer as opposed to what it costs them to provide that service. Bell Atlantic will also try to convince you that it is very expensive to backhaul connections to support ISDN to COs not properly equipped. What they won't tell you is that virtually all COs have at least one 5ESS switch installed, fully capable of supporting ISDN and all the latest services. Again, they want to charge again for something that has already been paid for. Bell Atlantic will also argue that users who are allowed unlimited data access will "nail up" those lines and never take them down. This does not hold true for most users. This would be true if the charge was per-call, in which case you'd get some calls that last years (but might cost only $0.08). However, one of the hallmarks of ISDN is its very short call setup time (less than one second), so that you can have an ISDN connection being continually torn down and brought back up virtually all day, and yet the user feels like they are directly connected to the Internet at all times (a minor hiccup in the in looking up the name of a machine on the Internet can easily take more time than the call setup for an ISDN connection). If it's priced right, and Bell Atlantic puts even minimal effort into watching usage patterns and developing solutions (hardware, software, and incentives) to make bandwidth-on-demand feasible, then the whole "different call usage patterns" capacity issue simply never materializes. Bell Atlantic will try to avoid at all costs the issue that, once a call gets into the network, a conversation that originated from a POTS line has all the same bandwidth and support costs as a call that originates on an ISDN line. At that point, "bits are bits" and it costs the same amount to move bits around no matter how they originated. However, the user sees a much different picture, with either 28.8Kbps base throughput available to them (on pristine lines) in analog mode, versus 64Kbps base throughput available on digital lines. And this doesn't begin to address the additional features that become possible with end-to-end digital communications. Also, Bell Atlantic doesn't have to pay for the equipment to digitize (or redigitize) your analog connection, instead you get to pay for that when you buy your CPE (and expensive Customer Premises Equipment it is, too). They're also getting out of the business of paying to provide line power for telephones, and users will now have to provide their own battery backup for those times when emergencies happen. Except for the backbone capacity issue, once a call gets set up, one that lasts five hours costs just as much as one that lasts five minutes. The real costs are in maintaining the quality of the lines from your home to your CO, not in pushing bits across those lines and the trunks. When analyzed in the cold, hard light of reason, it it almost certain to cost the telephone companies less to support purely digital communications as it does to support analog communications. The only difference is that purely digital communications are "newer" and more capable, and therefore they want to charge more for them. Do you remember when you used to pay one price for "Regular" gasoline and extra for "Unleaded", when the only difference is that "Regular" was "Unleaded" with lead added? Well, Bell Atlantic is trying the same kind of methodology, but unfortunately, we don't have dozens of local telecommunications providers that can provide the kind of competition that would force that pricing to realign itself to reality. One of the real reasons that Bell Atlantic is trying to charge so much for ISDN service is because they are trying to protect other cash-cow services. However, they don't appear to have learned the lesson of IBMyou need to let all the various business units of your company compete for customers, and if one part of the company suffers at the hand of another, then the ultimate winners are both the customer (who gets better service at a better price) and the company, since happier customers ultimately generate more business for you overall. Protecting cash-cow services ultimately alienates the customer (they get angry you're overcharging them so much), and drives them to a competitor that will price products and services more reasonably. But when you're a customer of a monopoly, you don't have that option, and therefore we have to make sure that the monopolies implement the lessons learned by the Rise and Fall of IBM. In closing, I'd like to point out that flat-rate service in the $20.00-40.00 range is available in many other places, including Arkansas, California, Illinois, Michigan, New Mexico, Ohio, Tennessee, Wisconsin, as well as being recommended by the PUC in another Bell Atlantic territory, Delaware. I hope that Maryland can continue its fine tradition of leadership in local issues by putting their collective foot down and making Bell Atlantic provide a basic service such as ISDN at a reasonable cost to the consumer (who, after all, doesn't have a choice as to where they can get their phone service from). Sincerely, Brad Knowles 6036 Richmond Highway, Apt. 115 Alexandria, VA 22303-2154 H: (703) 960-7313, W: (703) 453-4148, --- Date: Sun, 30 Jun 1996 06:27:00 -0400 (EDT) From: E Brooks Subject: To: isdn@psc.state.md.us To Whom It May Concern: The residential ISDN rates proposed by Bell Atlantic are totally out of line with with other states and even Bell Atlantic's rate in Tennessee. The flat rate between $20 to $40 seems to be the range in a lot of other states. Even these rates will be a hardship to a lot of residential consumers. We are not all business people working out of our homes, with business income to offset these charges. Please look out for the residential, non-business consumer when setting these rates. Bell Atlantic can easily identify the residences with business lines, so that shouldn't be a problem. Thank you. Ernest Brooks My name is Bond. James Bond Her Majesty's Secret Service Agt. 007 x 2 E Brooks a007007t@bcfreenet.seflin.lib.fl.us --- Date: Fri, 28 Jun 1996 09:44:45 -0400 To: ISDN@psc.state.md.us From: Scott Allen Subject: ISDN pricing A quick note to let you know the pricing Bell Atlantic is proposing for ISDN is terrible. Why should Delaware get all the breaks? -- Scott Allen bitmask@fred.net --- Date: Tue, 02 Jul 1996 19:12:37 -0400 From: "R.Moroney" To: ISDN@psc.state.md.us Subject: Bell Atlantic Residential ISDN Rates Dear sir or madam, I am writing to express my concern with and objection to the pricing structure being proposed by Bell Atlantic for residential access to ISDN facilities. I have been considering subscribing to a BA ISDN service, but have been put off by the prospect of what appear to be relatively high per-minute toll charges for the service. I work for an aerospace industry company in Montgomery County, and have fairly wide contact with colleagues scattered around the U.S. Without exception, my associates tell me that the rates quoted by Bell Atlantic for ISDN are not only high, but outrageously so. One friend has full 128 Kbps service for less than Bell Atlantic will charge for one-half of that speed. My personal impression of Bell Atlantic pricing is that it is structured to derive maximum support from the residential customer to support Bell Atlantic competitive activities in the commercial/business arena. In a nutshell, residential users subsidize the low rates given to business users, keeping Bell Atlantic competitive. This is not a pretty picture for me to contemplate, as a private citizen, taxpayer and hopeful traveller on the information superhighway. Maryland has already garnered for itself a reputation as "business un-friendly", and it looks like we are collectively headed toward a general position of being "techno- inhospitable". When I look at the job ads in the Washington Post and guage the ratio of technical job opportunities advertised in Maryland versus those in Virginia, the contrast is stark and startling. The unfriendly rates Bell Atlantic wants for access to what is fast becoming a high-tech necessity (not just a toy or curiosity) seem to be just one more nail in the commercial coffin Maryland may be designing and building for itself. It is just a matter of time before all the seemingly little factors add up to a whopping dis-incentive for anyone to move to or stay in Maryland. In time we might consider the motto, "It's a great place to park your boat!" as summing it all up... Thanks for your time, Bob Moroney Mount Airy, Maryland --- Date: Fri, 28 Jun 1996 12:40:00 -0400 (EDT) From: Cerberus To: isdn@psc.state.md.us Subject: ISDN [A copy of this letter is being mailed to the PSC today] David Paper Work: System Administrator Final Analysis, Inc. 7500 Greenway Center, Suite 1240S Greenbelt, Maryland 20770 Home: 14912 Pomquay Court North Potomac, Maryland 20878 Daniel P. Gahagan Executive Secretary Maryland Public Service Commission 16th Floor 6 St. Paul Street Baltimore, MD 21202-6806 To Mr. Gahagan, This letter is in regard to the ISDN TariffBell Atlantic Transmittal 963, Dated June 3, 1996, that was submitted to the Maryland State PSC for review on July 3rd, 1996. My name is David Paper, I am a student at University of Maryland College Park (UMCP), with a major in Computer Science. I have lived in Maryland all of my life, and have absolutely no plans of leaving my home state. I also am a Systems Administrator with Final Analysis, Incorporated (FAI), an international satellite communications and manufacturing company. In addition to being a student and working at FAI, I do some consulting in the real estate industry, which has recently introduced a high-bandwidth, high capacity service for disseminating information about properties for sale (among others) in the state of Maryland. As a student in Computer Science, I do a lot of my class work on a computer (programming projects), and being a commuter, I don't spend that much time on campus outside of attending class. I have my own computer at home, and I would like to be able to do my programming assignments on the UMCP machines at a reasonable speed. Most of the difficulties which are a result of a slow connection that I experience comes when I am doing online editing of files. The ability to have a high-speed connection to my school would let me work at home more, thereby saving gas, wear and tear on my car, and help reduce pollution by not having to drive to campus to work on my homework when all of the UMCP modem dial-in lines are busy. Many of my instructors have chosen to put class material as well as homework and solutions in the form of graphic files online on UMCP's World Wide Web servers. Accessing these servers over a modem (14.4kbaud or 28.8kbaud) is pain-stakingly slow when there are quite literally hundreds of other students trying to do the same thing. A 28.8kbps modem connection has the ability to transfer data at about 2,800 characters per second, with a delay of about one-fifth of a second. Transferring the same data using an ISDN connection yields data transfer speeds of over 14,000 characters per second, with a delay of about three-hundredths of a second. When transferring large amounts of data, the difference in delay (called latency) and the ability to almost pentuple the amount of data transferred really makes a big difference. From a business perspective, FAI currently has a modem dial-in connection to a local Internet Service Provider. Unfortunately, with a small but growing company of almost 40 employees, the amount of "bandwidth" that a modem provides is unacceptable for doing business on the Internet between our regional and international offices. The next big "step" up in Internet access is to install an ISDN connection. The next step after ISDN is to install a T1 line, which will run about $2,000 (telephone company charges + ISP fees) a month. Our company is not big enough to justify the cost of a T1 line, but an ISDN line is our next logical step in expanding to fill a growing market in space. The tariffs that Bell Atlantic company has proposed are outrageous. For a business rate connection, which is what our company is currently investigating until we discovered a 2 cent per minute per channel tariff, it would have cost us almost $1200 a month in just Bell Atlantic line fees. This is absolutely ludicrous considering the same company (Bell Atlantic) will sell us a T1 line for $600 a month flat rate, with no usage fees associated with it. (The cost of a T1 line is based on mileage away from the terminating point, whether it is at the telephone company or at an ISP.) Just the economical feasibility of installing an ISDN connection into our business is completely destroyed when for what amounts to about half of the cost, we can get twelve times the bandwidth, and a much more stable connection (that also has numerous alarms and signals when something happens to it, versus no alarms at all on an ISDN line). Finally, the real estate industry in Maryland is on the verge of going very high-tech, and with the new MRIS system that they setup, the slowest connection they accept is a 28.8 modem connection. The service recommends that you have a 56K frame relay or a 128K ISDN connection. The real estate offices either are being forced to pay through the nose (equivalent to what I described above), or they are "cheating" by running data over voice bearer service (business voice service is a flat 9 cents per call per channel, so you make a connection and leave it up, thereby avoiding the tariff charges). There is absolutely no reason that I can think of that the Maryland state PSC would want to discourage the thriving Washington metropolitan real estate market by making it inconvenient and expensive for real estate agents to access this gigantic cornucopia of information that pertains directly to their business. What Bell Atlantic is proposing with their current tariff just shows why a state-granted monopoly is a bad idea. I personally have never had problems with my phone service from Bell Atlantic, and I don't want the quality of my voice lines to suffer at all by the addition of local phone service competition. But, there is no competition at all, and Bell Atlantic executives must think they can pull prices for their subscribers out of thin air, and gouge the public in the process. On June 18th, the Delaware PSC passed a $28.02 ___FLAT___ rate ISDN tariff for the state of Delaware based on an independent consultants observation of what it actually costs Bell Atlantic to supply flat rate ISDN service, not what Bell Atlantic wants to make in profit. There is absolutely no reason that this great state of Maryland should be behind Delaware in furthering high-technology for its businesses and residents. Bell Atlantic has a gigantic territory (as well as adding additional territory pending the proposed merger with NYNEX), and is going to try (if PSC's like Maryland) to price gouge the public because they can, and if as a resident or a business doesn't like it, there is no where else they can go for service. ISDN should be a Basic Service, not one that is Discretionary. BA would like it to be discretionary so higher fees could be assessed. That it should be a basic service is clear--there is no practical alternative to ISDN, as a monopoly BA faces no competition in providing ISDN, and other telephone companies treat ISDN as basic. The BA tariffs are not inevitable. Quite a few states have adopted much lower residential ISDN tariffs. Highly relevant is the recent decision by the Delaware PSC approving a flat rate residential ISDN tariff of $28.02, about $221 less than the rate requested by Bell Atlantic. In Arkansas, the Northern Arkansas Telephone Company charges only $17.90 per month, flat rate, for residential ISDN service. In California, the Roseville Telephone Company charges $29.50 for residential ISDN. Four of the five Midwest states served by Ameritech offer ISDN at a little more than twice the POTS rate with no per minute charges (Illinois $28.05 to $34.50, Ohio $32.20, Michigan $33.51, and Wisconsin $30.90). In Tennessee, BellSouth charges $25 to $29 for flat rate ISDN. In New Mexico, the Commission recently approved a $40 flat rate. I fully intend to show up at the July 3rd hearing on 6 St. Paul street in Baltimore, representing my company (FAI), as well as a partial representative of the University of Maryland, the real estate industry in Maryland, and all residents and businesses that would like to jump on the "Internet Bandwagon" and are being told they are going to pay out the nose to do it by a money-grubbing company that goes by the name of Bell Atlantic. Sincerely, David Paper June 28, 1996 --- Date: Fri, 28 Jun 1996 09:06:05 -0400 To: ISDN@psc.state.md.us From: seifert@gsfc.nasa.gov (Helmut Seifert) Subject: Bell Atlantic ISDN Pricing Cc: seifert@gsfc.nasa.gov, mitra@rosserv.gsfc.nasa.gov Helmut Seifert, Ph.D. 14602 Stratfield Circle Laurel, MD 20707 June 28, 1996 Daniel P. Gahagan Executive Secretary Maryland Public Service Commission 16th Floor 6 St. Paul Street Baltimore, MD 21202-6806 Ref.: Docket Number -- ISDN TariffBell Atlantic Transmittal 963, Dated June 3, 1996 Dear Mr. Gahagan, since I won't be able to attend the public hearing about the Bell Atlantic (BA) ISDN tariff on July 3, 1996, in Baltimore, I am writing to you to voice my concern about the latest BA tariff offering which, for the ordinary citizen, is still exorbitantly priced. While many telephone companies are offering ISDN with unlimited usage for $17-$30 per month, BA charges 2 cents per minute (per B channel) from 7 am to 7 pm, or 1 cent per minute from 7 pm to 7 am. If I use the faster 128 Kbps connection it costs from $2.40 to $1.20 per hour to make a local call to my Internet service provider (ISP). BA also offers "callpack" options, where the consumer can pre-purchase blocks of time at large discounts. For example, one could buy the 140 hours callpack for $60 per month. This would allow a user to have 70(140) hours at 128(64) Kbps. But you have to pay for the time even if you don't use it, and if you go over, you are stuck with the hefty per-minute fees. The BA flat rate option is a whopping $249 per month, the most expensive in the United States. The BA tariffs are not inevitable. Quite a few states have adopted much lower residential ISDN tariffs. Highly relevant is the recent decision by the Delaware PSC approving a flat rate residential ISDN tariff of $28.02, about $221 less than the rate requested by Bell Atlantic. In Arkansas, the Northern Arkansas Telephone Company charges only $17.90 per month, flat rate, for residential ISDN service. In California, the Roseville Telephone Company charges $29.50 for residential ISDN. Four of the five Midwest states served by Ameritech offer ISDN at a little more than twice the POTS rate with no per minute charges (Illinois $28.05 to $34.50, Ohio $32.20, Michigan $33.51, and Wisconsin $30.90). In Tennessee, BellSouth charges $25 to $29 for flat rate ISDN. In New Mexico, the Commission recently approved a $40 flat rate. Both my wife and I are scientists working at the NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center and are using our computer and ISDN line heavily to complete work from home and to telecommute on weekends. The call to our ISP, under normal circumstances, is a local call. Since both of our applications are graphics intensive (using X-windows), ISDN is the only viable option to obtain the necessary high data transmission rates. However, due to the large usage rates for ISDN, we actually currently have to limit the usage of our ISDN line to a level which, in turn, does not yield any significant benefits for us. We feel that ISDN service should be a basic service which should be available to the general public at reasonable cost. We want to point out that ISDN is only available through BA and, hence, that no competitive price environment exists which could regulate the pricing structure in a free market sense. In absence of these other price regulation mechanisms we feel that, at least currently, consumers need to be protected, and prices be regulated by the State. We hope that the State of Maryland will follow the example of the State of Delaware and other states, and decide in favour of an affordable flat rate. Sincerely yours, Helmut Seifert ===================================================================== Helmut Seifert Telephone: (301) 286-5580 Code 661, NASA/GSFC Fax: (301) 286-1682 Greenbelt, MD 20771, U.S.A. Internet: seifert@gsfc.nasa.gov ===================================================================== --- Date: Fri, 28 Jun 1996 09:06:05 -0400 To: ISDN@psc.state.md.us From: seifert@gsfc.nasa.gov (Helmut Seifert) Subject: Bell Atlantic ISDN Pricing Cc: seifert@gsfc.nasa.gov, mitra@rosserv.gsfc.nasa.gov psc, I am a skilled computer analyst that would significantly benifit from telecommuting due to my health problems. Creating a flat rate of under $50/month for at least 200 hours of ISDN time would make it economically feasible for me. This would allow for at least 8 hours of online time per business day. Please encourage not discourage communication at a reasonable price. Dustin Aldridge 8526 Pine Meadows Drive Odenton, MD 21113 --- Date: Fri, 28 Jun 1996 09:40:44 -0400 To: ISDN@psc.state.md.us From: Bill Feidt Subject: Bell Atlantic ISDN Tariff Proposal Thank you for affording me the opportunity to comment on Bell Atlantic's proposed residential ISDN tariffs. It is my understanding that Bell Atlantic is asking for 2 cents per minute (per B channel)from 7 am to 7 pm, or 1 cent per minute from 7 pm to 7 am. If you use the faster 128 Kbps connection (isn't' the point of ISDN to have a faster connection?), it would cost from $2.40 to $1.20 per hour to make a local call to your Internet service provider (ISP). This proposal is grossly out-of-line with comparable rates proposed and accepted in other jurisdictions. Quite a few states have adopted much lower residential ISDN tariffs. Highly relevant is the recent decision by the Delaware PSC approving a flat rate residential ISDN tariff of $28.02, about $221 less than the rate requested by Bell Atlantic. In Arkansas, the Northern Arkansas Telephone Company charges only $17.90 per month, flat rate, for residential ISDN service. In California, the Roseville Telephone Company charges $29.50 for residential ISDN. Four of the five Midwest states served by Ameritech offer ISDN at a little more than twice the POTS rate with no per minute charges (Illinois $28.05 to $34.50, Ohio $32.20, Michigan $33.51, and Wisconsin $30.90). In Tennessee, BellSouth charges $25 to $29 for flat rate ISDN. In New Mexico, the Commission recently approved a $40 flat rate. I strongly urge the commission to insist on a flat rate residential ISDN structure similar to the aforementioned. William B. Feidt 5212 Flanders Avenue Kensington, MD 20895 wfeidt@cpcug.org --- Date: Fri, 28 Jun 1996 10:18:34 -0400 From: Hilltop Computer Resources Message-Id: <199606281418.KAA20980@bigdog.fred.net> To: ISDN@psc.state.md.us Subject: Re: Email the PSC about ISDN Tariffs ATTENTION: MARYLAND PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION. To whom it may concern: As a Maryland resident and businessman, being unable to attend the referenced hearing in person, I would like to make my feelings on this issue recorded for consideration. I believe that Bell Atlantic is setting themselves up for unacceptable profit levels. Further, I think the rates requested and the actions of the utility are NOT IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST. Please record my objections to the rate level requested by the utility and also record my support for a rate schedule in line with those users of Bell Atlantic in our neighboring State of Delaware. I have enclosed further information below as support for my feelings. Please see paragraph 4 of the background information section below. Thank you very much. Marvin Verschage President, Hilltop Computer Resources email: marv@fred.net : Helpful info posted to comp.dcom.telecom : : -------------------------------------------------------------------- : : INFO-POLICY-NOTES/subscriptions from listproc@essential.org : : June 26, 1996 : ISDN pricing in Bell Atlantic States : : - CPT sets up Web page for Bell Atlantic Consumers at: : : http://www.essential.org/cpt/isdn/bellnews.html : : - Maryland Accepts comments on ISDN rates by electronic : mail (ISDN@psc.state.md.us) and sets public hearing for : July 3. Additional details about battles in other : Bell Atlantic States. : : Bell Atlantic consumers in Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and the : District of Columbia have an opportunity to fight for lower : residential ISDN tariffs, if you act swiftly. [Virginia already has : an open docket on residential ISDN pricing, and filings in West : Virginia are expected soon]. : : In Maryland, the Public Service Commission (PSC) has agreed to accept : comments on the issue by electronic mail, at: ISDN@psc.state.md.us. : Maryland is also giving the public an opportunity to be heard at a : public hearing on July 3. Commissions in NJ, PA and DC have declined : to provide a public hearing on the tariffs, or to accept comments by : electronic mail, but they will accept written comments. CPT has set : up a Bell Atlantic ISDN Action page on the Web with information about : the proceedings at: : : http://www.essential.org/cpt/isdn/bellnews.html : : BACKGROUND : : Briefly, Bell Atlantic (BA) is asking for tariffs which are based upon : the amount of time that you use the ISDN connection, and this can add : up. A "BRI" ISDN line gives you two 64 Kbps "B" channels, which can : be "bonded" into a fast 128 Kbps connection (referred to as 2B). You : can also use BRI ISDN as two separate voice or fax lines, with : multiple telephone numbers, or the line can be dynamically configured : on the fly. : : BA is asking for 2 cents per minute (per B channel)from 7 am to 7 pm, : or 1 cent per minute from 7 pm to 7 am. If you use the faster 128 : Kbps connection (isn't' the point of ISDN to have a faster : connection?), it would cost from $2.40 to $1.20 per hour to make a : local call to your Internet service provider (ISP). : : BA also offers "callpack" options, where the consumer can pre-purchase : blocks of time at large discounts. For example, one could buy the 140 : hours callpack for $60 per month. This would allow a user to have 70 : hours at 128 Kbps (or 140 hours at 64 Kpbs). But you have to pay for : the time even if you don't use it, and if you go over, you are stuck : with the hefty per-minute fees. The BA flat rate option is a whopping : $249 per month, the most expensive in the United States. : : The BA tariffs are not inevitable. Quite a few states have adopted : much lower residential ISDN tariffs. Highly relevant is the recent : decision by the Delaware PSC approving a flat rate residential ISDN : tariff of $28.02, about $221 less than the rate requested by Bell : Atlantic. : : In Arkansas, the Northern Arkansas Telephone Company charges only : $17.90 per month, flat rate, for residential ISDN service. In : California, the Roseville Telephone Company charges $29.50 for : residential ISDN. Four of the five Midwest states served by Ameritech : offer ISDN at a little more than twice the POTS rate with no per : minute charges (Illinois $28.05 to $34.50, Ohio $32.20, Michigan : $33.51, and Wisconsin $30.90). In Tennessee, BellSouth charges $25 to : $29 for flat rate ISDN. In New Mexico, the Commission recently : approved a $40 flat rate. : : You can get a better Bell Atlantic ISDN tariff if you fight now! The : most important immediate thing is to get comments into the record in : opposition to the BA filing, and to ask for lower rates. It is also : helpful to call up the Commission in your state and talk to the staff : person who is assigned to the issue. : : : In addition to the Bell Atlantic ISDN Action page : (http://www.essential.org/cpt/isdn/bellnews.html), you might find : these links helpful. : : CPT's ISDN pricing talking points: : : http://www.essential.org/cpt/isdn/isdntalk.html : : Fred Goldstein's ISDN pricing talking points. : : http://www.essential.org/cpt/isdn/fred.txt : : : James Love (love@tap.org/202-387-8030 : Consumer Project on Technology : http://www.essential.org/cpt : : INFO-POLICY-NOTES is a free Internet newsletter. : Subscriptions from listproc@essential.org. Archives at : http://www.essential.org/listproc/info-policy-notes/ : Materials may be redisseminated widely on the Internet. : : -- : Scott Allen : bitmask@fred.net -- Regards, Marv ---- Motto: Do more with less! I have done so much with so little, I am now qualified to do everything with nothing. --- Date: Thu, 27 Jun 1996 17:46:26 -0400 Message-Id: <9606272146.AA86092@uranus.sdf.sbis.com> To: ISDN@psc.state.md.us Subject: Bell Atlantic Residential ISDN tariff A. There should be two classes of ISDN service, Residential and Business. RESIDENTIAL ISDN 1. Residential ISDN should not be considered an essential service. While some members of the "computer" community will argue that it is essential to their use of their computers, ISDN service is not essential to the residential telephone customer. 2. Residential ISDN should only be offered to non-business's, regardless of the business's location. That is to say, a business operated out of a house is still a business and should not receive residential ISDN pricing. While I acknowledge that it may be hard to police, but I suggest investigation in the following areas might be used to ensure that the ISDN line is being used strictly for residential (or non-business) uses: A. The presence in the public record of a business license. B. The presence in the tax record of a business tax deduction for a home office. C. The presence in the home of more than two telephone lines prior to the installation of the ISDN line. D. The presence of a business listing in a public telephone directory. E. The presence of a "toll free" number in a public telephone directory. F. The presence in the tax records of business tax deductions taken for depreciation of equipment. G. The presence in the public record of an attempt to have the property appraisal adjusted due to part of the property being converted to business use. Any user requesting or having Residential ISDN service would be required to sign a legal statement that there was not and would not be any business operated from the location where the ISDN service would be installed. FEES/TARIFF Residential ISDN should be priced at a flat rate with no per-minute charges. The rate should be in the $12 to $20 range over and above the flat rate unlimited call charge for a standard (POTS) telephone line. Installation charges for Residential ISDN should not exceed those for a standard telephone line. There should be no requirement for a customer to convert their existing telephone service to a higher cost service in order to receive Residential ISDN service. In those areas where ISDN service must be temporarly (or permantly) provided by a "foreign" central office, there should be no requirement for the customer to change their existing telephone number, even if they desire to use one of the ISDN channels for voice telephone. Rates for Residential ISDN should not be on a "per-channel" basis, but be for the two channels installed as part of the ISDN line. The rates should not change depending on the useage of either of the channels for voice or data. BUSINESS ISDN 1. Business ISDN would be supplied to those customers not meeting the restrictions imposed on the Residential ISDN customer. FEES Business ISDN should be priced to have a montly fee of $15 to $20 range over and above the existing business telphone rate charged for that location and customer. In addition a per-minute charge of $.02 per minute during the 8am to 6pm period, and $.01 per minute during the 6pm to 8am period should apply. In summary, two classes of ISDN service should be tariffed. The strictly Residental service should receive a flat-rate treatment. Residential ISDN should only be available to non-business users. Business ISDN with a per- minute charge should be applied to all other customers. Applying these rules strictly, will prevent the "underground" home business, such as a home operated Internet Service Provider, from obtaining ISDN service at a "subsidized" rate. Respectfully submitted via electronic mail Gilbert W. Stamper 12407 Tahoe Court Lusby MD 20657 email to: gstamper@eagle1.eaglenet.com --- Date: Fri, 28 Jun 96 07:34:27 EST Message-Id: <9605288359.AA835983982@mail2.lmi.org> To: ISDN@psc.state.md.us Return-Receipt-To: bwolfe@mail2.lmi.org Subject: Comments: ISDN Tariff Bell Atlantic Transmittal 963 Daniel P. Gahagan Executive Secretary Maryland Public Service Commission 16th Floor 6 St. Paul Street Baltimore, MD 21202-6806 Reference: Docket Number ISDN Tariff Bell Atlantic Transmittal 963 Dear Mr. Gahagan: I am a 25 year resident of Maryland and an avid computer user. I currently lease 5 telephone lines from Bell Atlantic for both voice and data use. I would like to use ISDN to video-conference and telecommute but the exorbitant flat rate of $249 proposed by Bell Atlantic makes that impossible. Other states (Delaware, for one) have been able to offer flat rate ISDN pricing comparable to standard telephone service. It is my fervent hope that the Maryland PSC can provide the same benefits to its residents. ISDN should be a Basic service, not a Discretionary one and should be priced accordingly. Bell has a monopoly on this service and the PSC needs to act as a consumer advocate to make sure that Bell does not use this monopoly power to gouge its clients. Sincerely yours, Bruce L. Wolfe 4905 Blackfoot Road College Park, MD 20740 --- Date: Thu, 27 Jun 1996 21:48:25 -0500 From: williams To: isdn@psc.state.md.us Subject: Bell Atlantic's outrageous fortune......NOT. Dear sirs, It has come to my attention, that Bell Atlantic insists on charging $250.00 for ISDN lines. While other services are charging an average of $30.00 a month (as a flat rate), Bell Atlantic is intent on bleeding their customers dry. They are offering us a more efficient service, which people will be using for electronic communications. Granted, the " Information Super Highway " is growing by leaps and bounds. The ISH will be a driving force into the future. That is certainly no exscuse for price gouging, some could even say it's extortion. If these rates are approved, I could never afford such fees nor be willing to pay them. Most people in the Baltimore area couldn't , and wouldn't subject themselves to such outrageous demands. It appears that the $250.00 fee is aimed at "big business", and if so.....then where is the public service in that for John Q public? Maybe in the mad rush for the all mighty dollar, Bell Atlantic has forgotten about hard working ordinary customers. Maybe they just don't care. -- Michelle Williams, williams@mail.bcpl.lib.md.us http://www.bcpl.lib.md.us/~williams/home.html --- Date: Fri, 28 Jun 1996 01:58:29 -0400 (EDT) From: Michael Cummings To: ISDN@psc.state.md.us Subject: RE: Bell Atlantic - Maryland Transmittal 963, Dated June 3, 1996 June 27, 1996 Maryland Public Service Commission C/O Daniel P. Gahagan Executive Secretary 16th Floor 6 St. Paul Street Baltimore, MD 21202-6806 RE: Bell Atlantic - Maryland Transmittal 963, Dated June 3, 1996. Via : E-mail (copy also sent via mail) Dear Commissioners; As a Maryland resident, I am writing to express my opposition to some of the points in the proposed Maryland residential ISDN Tariffs outlined on Bell Atlantic -Maryland Transmittal 963, Dated June 3, 1996 providing for the establishment of regulations, rates and charges for Residential IntelliLinQ BRI Service and elimination of the trial ISDN tariff that has been in place since the summer of 1995. Bell Atlantic - Maryland (BA) has proposed to offer ISDN residential tariffs generally based upon metered usage, but with a greatly excessive $249.00 token flat rate option whose purpose appears to be an attempt to satisfy Maryland law which requires BA to also offer a flat rate option with residential tariffed telephone services. There are a number of points that I wish to address that demonstrate how this proposed rate structure is not in the best interest of the State of Maryland or it's citizens. 1. LETS MAKE MARYLAND A TELECOMMUTER FRIENDLY STATE If this proposed tariff is enacted, it will place our state in a severe disadvantage in attracting new high tech business to our state. As I am sure the commission is aware, on Tuesday June 18, 1996, the Delaware Public Service Commission ruled against the same Bell Atlantic tariff proposal and approved a flat rate of $28.02 per month. A rate much more in line with the current pricing structure for two line residential service and BA's cost for providing the service. This rate INCLUDES the current tariffed rates for residential dial tone, limited residential local usage, and touch tone and places the State of Delaware in a much enhanced position as a telecommuter friendly state, enabling companies to enact work-at-home programs while allowing full access to company computer resources at a reasonable rates, while lowering the load on Delaware's highways and other transportation systems. Why should our state not also receive these benefits? 2. BA'S MEASURED RATES PURPOSEFULLY DECEPTIVE BA's measured rates contained in the tariff filling are I believe purposefully deceptive. This is because BA's rates are based upon use of a single B channel, rather than the full speed 128 Kbs of both B channels. Why would anyone want t o have such a service and only be able to use 50% of it in a cost effective manner? 3. ISDN IS JUST AN INTERFACE TO THE PSTN ISDN is simply a new digital interface onto the existing network. Per-line pricing should reflect the differential in costs. A voice call made on an ISDN line is indistinguishable, within the network, from a call made on an analog line. A data call is functionally similar; the same resources are used, even though the trunks used for data are supposedly all 64-clear and SS7-linked. Here in the "BA Advanced Network" this is the norm. 4.NAILED USAGE IS NOT AN ISDN-SPECIFIC PROBLEM BA asserts that ISDN users are prone to nail flat-rate lines, but that, if relevant, is not a reason to impose measured on all residential customers. 5. BA IS STILL A MONOPOLY Because residential competition is not currently in place in Maryland, the public still needs rate protection from BA. Once "true" local dialtone competition is in place, the issue should be re-visited. Until then I submit that the commission should set the unlimited ISDN rates so the BA makes the same rate of return as they do currently on pots since for the most part ISDN does not place any more load on the network. I appreciate the commission giving me the opportunity to present my views in this matter and hope that it provides assistance in making the decision that is correct for Maryland by requiring BA to to give us a reasonable ISDN tariff. Sincerly, /s/ Michael Cummings --- Date: Thu, 27 Jun 1996 20:31:33 -0400 From: Jim Bauer To: isdn@psc.state.md.us CC: jfb@qis.net Subject: Bell Atlantic ISDN Tariff comments Re: ISDN Tariff Bell Atlantic Transmittal 963, Dated June 3, 1996 My name is Jim Bauer. I live in Elkridge MD. I have lived in Maryland now for 10 years. I would very much like to see ISDN available here at a resonable cost. If such a service were provided, I would certainly use it. However, the proposed tarrifs for residential ISDN usage in Maryland are clearly unaceptable. Bell Atlantic is proposing to charge an order of magnitude more then most of the other providers. of ISDN serivce. I and many other, can't even come close to afording such rates. POTS lines are incapable of providing the necessary data throughput that is needed today. In the near future, that bottleneck will get even worse. I feel that it is imperative that higher network access to made available to the general public to an affordable rate. This should be done at rates very similar to that of POTS lines. Afterall, most of the supporting infrastructure is the same. Thanks, -- Jim Bauer, jfb@qis.net 6346 Greenfield Rd Elkridge MD, 21227 --- From: Emma Kolstad Antunes Subject: ISDN Tariff Bell Atlantic Transmittal 963 To: ISDN@psc.state.md.us Date: Tue, 2 Jul 1996 19:20:55 -0400 (EDT) Dear Commissioners, I am writing in response to the ISDN Tariff Bell Atlantic Transmittal 963 dated June 3, 1996. I wish to express my opposition to the ISDN tariffs proposed by Bell Atlantic for Maryland residential consumers. I am twenty seven, a computer professional and a resident of Maryland. I grew up here, went away to college and now I'm back to raise a family and start my own web page design business. I currently work at Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt as a programmer and web designer, and I have a major interest in seeing that ISDN is affordable. I was first introduced to ISDN at my workplace and immediately realized how ISDN service from my house would enable me to have the bandwidth I need to start my business. Bandwidth is the major limitation to the growth of the world wide web (and the success of my design service). More bandwidth means more customers. I decided then that I needed to have ISDN installed as soon as it was affordable. ISDN is a technology that can offer immediate high-speed access to the Internet. Today. Right now. We don't have to wait for next generation technology to materialize to see drastic improvements. We already have it. ISDN needs to be a basic service for everyone, not one that is discretionary. Bell Atlantic would like it to be discretionary so they can charge more. This is not a good idea-- it will discourage small businesses (who have the most to gain) from using ISDN and restrict it to large corporations who have pockets deep enough to afford it. Bell Atlantic will try to say that they need to recoup the cost of installing ISDN capable equipment. This is not the case. They installed equipment over the years with these options already built in, and have recouped their costs several times over. They will also try to give you excuses for not providing ISDN service at or near cost. There is no competition to keep their fees down, so until the market takes over, they should not be allowed to price ISDN several times above what it costs them to provide it. Bell Atlantic is a monopoly, and it is going to charge as much for ISDN as it can get away with. This is a sad state of affairs. Telephone companies in other states treat ISDN as a basic service. It should be the same in Maryland. Small businesses such as mine should not lose out. Is Maryland going to send a message to entrepreneurs that they are not welcome? That's not the state I grew up in. Sincerely, Emma Kolstad Antunes 8302 Cypress Street Laurel, MD 20707 (301) 286-1377 emma@clark.net --- Date: Thu, 27 Jun 1996 15:55:20 -0500 To: isdn@psc.state.md.us From: J Narun Subject: Bell Atlantic ISDN Tariffs in MD Dear Maryland PSC Commissioners: Bell Atlantic is scheduled to appear before the Commission, in early July, to seek approval for its ISDN tariff of "unlimited" service to be set at or about $250 per month. This is not a request that the Commission ought to approve. When compared with similar ISDN tariffs in neighboring states (e.g., Delaware), Bell Atlantic's tariff request for Maryland is set at roughly nine times the cost of such comparable service. By any reasonable standard, the requested tariff amounts to excessive pricing. Given the rapidly growing interest in ISDN service -- especially among residential customers, small businesses and educational institutions at every level -- the approval of Bell Atlantic's requested tariff will certainly have the effect of slowing adoption and limiting deployment of ISDN throughout Maryland. This, in turn, will limit the overall revenues that will accrue to Bell Atlantic from its intra-state ISDN offerings. This is tantamount to an "ISDN hostile" approach on the part of Bell Atlantic. If rational, profits-centered motives are guiding this tariff filing, then it is clear that Bell Atlantic is seeking to achieve this chilling effect on its ISDN offerings in Maryland. Bell Atlantic's intentions in this respect can only be seen in terms of its future plans as regards service offerings, tariff filings, and responses to competitors in this intra-state market. The proposed merger of Bell Atlantic and Nynex adds new dimensions to the rationales which have informed this tariff request. As the Commission is aware, Maryland's communications infrastructure plays a key role in the state's economic growth and vitality. The public and private sectors rely upon up-to-date communications facilities as enabling technologies. In this context, the Commission's actions in support of the widespread adoption and rapid deployment of ISDN will aid the citizens of Maryland in their efforts to gain and maintain competitive advantages. All are worthy goals, indeed. But it is also worthy of note to recognize that Bell Atlantic's requested ISDN tariff will have just the opposite effect: it will place Maryland at a competitive disadvantage in comparison to other states. Whether intended or not, this is one consequence that cries out for the Commission to disallow. I therefore urge the Commission to take the following actions in passing on Bell Atlantic's tariff request for "unlimited" monthly ISDN service: * Reject this ISDN tariff request as wholly inappropriate to the communications requirements, interests, and concerns of the citizens of Maryland. * Hold further public hearings on the desired scope and nature of ISDN service offerings within Maryland. * Invite submission of written and electronic comment on the desired scope and nature of ISDN service offerings from all Maryland communities of interest, specifically including (but not limited to): -- Economic development agencies and authorities. -- Educational institutions (public and private, at every level). -- Financial institutions (every size). -- Goverment agencies (state, country and municipal). -- High-technology businesses (every size). -- Libraries and research facilities (public and private). -- Medical institutions and practitioners (public and private). -- Small and mid-size businesses (not defined as high-tech). -- Residential telephone customers. -- Professionals (architecture, engineering, law, real estate, etc.). * Require Bell Atlantic to file an amended ISDN tariff request -- one that employs "ISDN friendly" pricing -- at an early date following the period for public comment. * Invite other telecommunications providers to file ISDN and other intra-state tariffs to compete with Bell Atlantic's service offerings within Maryland. * Collect timely information concerning the tariffing and scope of intra-state ISDN services from other PSC/PUC agencies -- those in nearby states as well as those in states with extensive experience with ISDN- related regulation and deployment issues (e.g., California, Oregon and Washington). * File a request with the Maryland Attorney General's office to review this, and other recent Maryland tariff filings, in order to determine whether Bell Atlantic: -- Has engaged, or has attempted to engage, in anti-competitive practices within Maryland that are prohibited by applicable state or federal law. -- Has influenced, or has sought to influence, Maryland's intra-state market for communications services in any manner prohibited by applicable state or federal law. -- Has gained, or has sought to gain, any other advantage within Maryland which is disallowed to merger candidates in general, and to state-regulated communications providers in particular, under applicable state or federal law. Bell Atlantic must receive a clear message that Maryland places a high value on helping foster the adoption and deployment of ISDN -- as well as all other new communications technologies. That we demand no less than a world-class communications infrastructure. The Commission can take the first step by issuing an outright rejection of Bell Atlantic's requested ISDN tariff. For all the people of the State of Maryland, this is the right thing to do. Sincerely, -- Joe Narun residential customer Baltimore 410.435.5550 --- Date: Thu, 27 Jun 96 16:38:06 UT From: "Harmon Pritchard, Jr." To: ISDN@psc.state.md.us Subject: Bell Atlantic ISDN Tarriffs I am writing in opposition to the ISDN tariffs being proposed by Bell Atlantic for Maryland residential customers. Bell Atlantic is proposing to offer ISDN residential rates based upon metered usage and will offer package prices based on specified number of hours. The rates being proposed are excessive and will serve to restrain use of ISDN rather than open up this technology to more consumers who need very rapid access to a wide range of content services and to their companies' local area networks. More and more individuals are finding great value in the information available to them on the Internet. Governmental agencies are finding the Internet is an excellent way to reach the public and reduces their expendatures for printed materials. In addition, a growing number of employees and self-employed people are working at home and need fast connections to the Internet, e-mail services and to company LANs. I am now retired and now working as a consultant to associations from my home office. I now waste a considerable amount of time connecting with online services and the Internet with a 28.8 modem. ISDN at a reasonable price, will allow me to be far more productive, earn more money and to Maryland's benefit, pay more taxes. Other telephone companies have been able to offer very affordable flat rates for ISDN service, certainly Bell Atlantic with all its resources should be able to as well. I urge the Commision to: 1. Reject the proposed Bell Atlantic residential ISDN tariffs. 2. Follow Delaware's lead in requiring Bell Atlantic to implement a new, lower tariff that brings the BRI ISDN tariff closer to the cost of voice grade telephone service, without metered usage charges. Thank you, Harmon O. Pritchard, Jr. 20402 Waters Point Lane Germantown, MD 20874 --- Date: Thu, 27 Jun 1996 15:06:56 -0400 From: "Brian A. Jarvis" To: isdn@psc.state.md.us Subject: Bell Atlantic ISDN Rate Proposal I'm currently in the process of setting up a subsidiary of my business in the Silver Spring, MD, area. As Internet connectivity is a requirement for the type of computer administration and support my company offers, some sort of 24hr/day ISDN package is essential. I was shocked to learn how expensive such service is from Bell Atlantic, even under their proposed "lower" ISDN tariffs. $249/month for unlimited ISDN access is an outrageous sum of money, particularly in light of how little extra effort is required on B-A's part above a minimal few hours/month access. Under such circumstances, it would seem to make more sense to either move my operation to Delaware to take advantage of their lower rates, or at least place a separate office there for monitoring purposes and using cheaper 28.8kbps modems on metered use locally in Silver Spring. Viewed in this way, it is clear that B-A's proposed tarrif structure is not only grand-scale profiteering at the expense of small business and individuals, but is clearly a job-killer for the local economy. Please do continue your lobbying efforts! I wish you all success in this! Brian -- Brian A. Jarvis, Office Assist Senior Technician 9506 Boyer Place, Silver Spring, MD 20910 jarvis@office-assist.com 222 Berkeley Street, Toronto, ON M5A 2X4 --- Date: Thu, 27 Jun 1996 08:37 -0400 (EDT) From: "Kistler, Thomas L." Subject: ISDN Service from Bell Atlantic To: Maryland PSC Dear Maryland PSC: In today's city paper an article addressed ISDN and how Bell Atlantic's proposed rates will be overpriced. I would like to offer some comments. First, Bell Atlantic's current trial rates are too high but ISDN is a service that should be deployed and soon. I am an internet user at work and wish to get the service at home. Unfortunately, I do recognize that the service is not basic plain old telephone service and requires more of the phone company's switch capacity - not to mention the loop conditioning! Internet use is not a basic need required by the general public. After checking on the new tariff rates, they seem reasonable and would offer me a true variety. This is an interim technology anyway, therefore, I strongly recommend that you approve Bell Atlantic's tariff so we can get on with this "technology of the future". Thanks for your time. --- Date: Thu, 27 Jun 1996 09:00:42 -0400 (EDT) From: Barbara Karpel To: ISDN@psc.state.md.us Subject: Bell Atlantic ISDN Request Pricing Gentlemen: As a Maryland consumer I ask you to please set Bell Atlantic's ISDN pricing at as low a rate as possible. They have a monopoly on phone service in Maryland already, and an excessively high rate would limit the amount of time I and my daughter would be able to afford to access the Internet on our home computer. Thank you for considering my opinion. Barbara Karpel 117 Glyndon Dr., B-2 Reisterstown, MD 21136 --- Date: Wed, 26 Jun 1996 18:18:03 -0400 From: cps@access.digex.net (Chris Smolinski) To: ISDN@psc.state.md.us Subject: Bell Atlantic's Proposed ISDN pricing tariffs Dear Sirs: I would like to make known my opinions on Bell Atlantic's Proposed ISDN pricing tariffs. I believe the proposed rates are far in excess of what is being charged in other states, and will be extremely detrimental to the continued development of online information services, and the Internet in general. An inexpensive flat rate is necessary. Bell Atlantic is proposing a $249/month flat rate service. The Delaware PSC has recently approved a flate rate residential ISDN tariff of $28.02. Flat rate ISDN is only $17.90 in Arkansas, and $29.50 in California. Other rates include Illinois at $28.05 to $34.50, Ohio $32.20, Michigan $33.51, and Wisconsin $30.90 Why should Maryland lead the nation with the highest cost flat rate residential ISDN? Bell Atlantic should be required to offer flat rate ISDN at a rate comparable to that available in other states, namely in the $20 - $30 range. Christopher P. Smolinski 4708 Trail Court Westminster, MD 21158 (401) 751-2360 -- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Check out my WWW page at http://www.access.digex.net/~cps/ for scientific | |software for the Mac, Free Radio, Shortwave Radio, and Spy Numbers Stations | |information. | |Finger me (cps@access.digex.net) for my PGP Public Key | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --- Date: Wed, 26 Jun 1996 17:32:08 +0000 From: David To: isdn@psc.state.md.us Subject: ISDN public hearing in Baltimore I want $28.00 ISDN service like Delaware has. Why can Bell Atlantic dictate that Marylanders pay 249.00/month for unlimited ISDN service? I want ISDN, I want it cheap, and I want it now. Marylanders are not stupid. They won't pay 10 times what a service is actually worth. I certainly won't. Thank you. --- Date: Fri, 28 Jun 1996 09:57:39 -0400 To: ISDN@psc.state.md.us From: Jeff Mallory Subject: ISDN TariffBell Atlantic Transmittal 963, Dated June 3, 1996 I strongly urge you to consider why one of the largest and most profitable of the Baby Bells cannot even come close to matching the residential ISDN rate of the Northern Arkansas Telephone Company. I work for a software developer. Consumer access to a high bandwidth/reasonable cost internet connection is essential to our continued success in the future. It is essential for children's education and ability to survive and thrive in the new world order of a plugged in world economy. Please consider the Delaware PSC's findings and tariff decision for these same services. We are already rapidly splitting into the internet-able haves and have-nots; please do not drive this wedge further by allowing outrageously high ISDN rates! JJM --- Date: Wed, 26 Jun 1996 22:35:38 -0700 From: Michael Netzer To: isdn@psc.state.md.us Subject: isdn Dear PSC: I am both a businessman and a consumer that uses internet access and would be very interested in reduced ISDN rates. I read in the City Paper an article that was riddled with misinformation. But first, let me assure you that I am not a Bell Atlantic fan. But I do realize that ISDN is not like your average analog voice line, consequently, it should not be priced that way. The company's switches need more capacity because the calls are what they call "nailed up" for undetermined length of time and consequently will drive down the quality of service we receive today. We will get slow dial tone if the company can not recover costs and manage the digital growth. Bell Atlantic's rates are both reasonable and I urge you to consider the source of the consumer groups who want everything for nothing and merely look at the facts. ISDN is more costly to switch, provision and install, therefore how can it be cheaper or even close to my voice grade home and business phone lines. I surely do not want to subsidize the internet users! Besides is internet use an essential service - I don't think so! Please approve the new rates and lets get on with it already!!!! If you have any questions please call me at home on 461-1181. Mike Treuth --- Date: Thu, 27 Jun 1996 08:16:27 -0400 (EDT) From: Terry Fry To: isdn@psc.state.md.us Subject: ISDN Tarrifs for Bell Atlantic Speaking from the business community, connectivity is becoming a criteria for corporations of all sizes when planning expantion or relocation, much like highway systems and railroad service has been. Bell Atlantic's ISDN tarrif will severly limit companies who are interested in becoming competative in the information highway. In my own instance, at the current rate it will become cost effect to relocate out of the Bell Atlantic area and telecomute, not good for the Baltimore/Washington area, and not good for the vendors that I frequent. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Terry Fry terryfry@access.digex.net United Parcel Service http://www.access.digex.net/~terryfry/ This is my personal account. --- Subject: ISDN Tariff Bell Atlantic Transmittal 963 To: ISDN@psc.state.md.us Date: Tue, 2 Jul 1996 19:20:55 -0400 (EDT) Dear Commissioners, I am writing in response to the ISDN Tariff Bell Atlantic Transmittal 963 dated June 3, 1996. I wish to express my opposition to the ISDN tariffs proposed by Bell Atlantic for Maryland residential consumers. I am twenty seven, a computer professional and a resident of Maryland. I grew up here, went away to college and now I'm back to raise a family and start my own web page design business. I currently work at Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt as a programmer and web designer, and I have a major interest in seeing that ISDN is affordable. I was first introduced to ISDN at my workplace and immediately realized how ISDN service from my house would enable me to have the bandwidth I need to start my business. Bandwidth is the major limitation to the growth of the world wide web (and the success of my design service). More bandwidth means more customers. I decided then that I needed to have ISDN installed as soon as it was affordable. ISDN is a technology that can offer immediate high-speed access to the Internet. Today. Right now. We don't have to wait for next generation technology to materialize to see drastic improvements. We already have it. ISDN needs to be a basic service for everyone, not one that is discretionary. Bell Atlantic would like it to be discretionary so they can charge more. This is not a good idea-- it will discourage small businesses (who have the most to gain) from using ISDN and restrict it to large corporations who have pockets deep enough to afford it. Bell Atlantic will try to say that they need to recoup the cost of installing ISDN capable equipment. This is not the case. They installed equipment over the years with these options already built in, and have recouped their costs several times over. They will also try to give you excuses for not providing ISDN service at or near cost. There is no competition to keep their fees down, so until the market takes over, they should not be allowed to price ISDN several times above what it costs them to provide it. Bell Atlantic is a monopoly, and it is going to charge as much for ISDN as it can get away with. This is a sad state of affairs. Telephone companies in other states treat ISDN as a basic service. It should be the same in Maryland. Small businesses such as mine should not lose out. Is Maryland going to send a message to entrepreneurs that they are not welcome? That's not the state I grew up in. Sincerely, Emma Kolstad Antunes 8302 Cypress Street Laurel, MD 20707 (301) 286-1377 emma@clark.net --- Date: Thu, 27 Jun 1996 01:17:56 +0100 From: Chuck Hymiller To: isdn@psc.state.md.us CC: chuck@nerds.net Subject: Bell Atlantic ISDN Rates!! My question is why does Bell Atlantic want to charge $249.00 a month for I.S.D.N. unlimited service when Delaware is only charging $28.00 a month. This is absolutely rediculous!!!How can Bell justify charging $221.00 more for the same thing,especially since it can be carried over the lines that they are now using.It really sounds like a major rip-off of the consumers of this state!! As a concerned computer user and Bell Atlantic subscriber I request that you don't let this happen so that affordable digital communications are something we can all enjoy as this is certainly the wave of the future!!!! Thank YOU, Charles Hymiller 3391 Jeffrey-Lori South Finksburg,Md 21048 -- ********************************************************************* * Chuck Hymiller E-mail: chuck@nerds.net * ********************************************************************* --- Date: Wed, 26 Jun 96 08:37:05 PST From: "Michael McGhee" To: ISDN@psc.state.md.us Subject: Bell Atlantic ISDN Pricing Alert INFO-POLICY-NOTES/subscriptions from listproc@essential.org June 26, 1996 ISDN pricing in Bell Atlantic States - CPT sets up Web page for Bell Atlantic Consumers at: http://www.essential.org/cpt/isdn/bellnews.html - Maryland Accepts comments on ISDN rates by electronic mail (ISDN@psc.state.md.us) and sets public hearing for July 3. Additional details about battles in other Bell Atlantic States. Bell Atlantic consumers in Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia have an opportunity to fight for lower residential ISDN tariffs, if you act swiftly. [Virginia already has an open docket on residential ISDN pricing, and filings in West Virginia are expected soon]. In Maryland, the Public Service Commission (PSC) has agreed to accept comments on the issue by electronic mail, at: ISDN@psc.state.md.us. Maryland is also giving the public an opportunity to be heard at a public hearing on July 3. Commissions in NJ, PA and DC have declined to provide a public hearing on the tariffs, or to accept comments by electronic mail, but they will accept written comments. CPT has set up a Bell Atlantic ISDN Action page on the Web with information about the proceedings at: http://www.essential.org/cpt/isdn/bellnews.html BACKGROUND Briefly, Bell Atlantic (BA) is asking for tariffs which are based upon the amount of time that you use the ISDN connection, and this can add up. A "BRI" ISDN line gives you two 64 Kbps "B" channels, which can be "bonded" into a fast 128 Kbps connection (referred to as 2B). You can also use BRI ISDN as two separate voice or fax lines, with multiple telephone numbers, or the line can be dynamically configured on the fly. BA is asking for 2 cents per minute (per B channel)from 7 am to 7 pm, or 1 cent per minute from 7 pm to 7 am. If you use the faster 128 Kbps connection (isn't' the point of ISDN to have a faster connection?), it would cost from $2.40 to $1.20 per hour to make a local call to your Internet service provider (ISP). BA also offers "callpack" options, where the consumer can pre-purchase blocks of time at large discounts. For example, one could buy the 140 hours callpack for $60 per month. This would allow a user to have 70 hours at 128 Kbps (or 140 hours at 64 Kpbs). But you have to pay for the time even if you don't use it, and if you go over, you are stuck with the hefty per-minute fees. The BA flat rate option is a whopping $249 per month, the most expensive in the United States. The BA tariffs are not inevitable. Quite a few states have adopted much lower residential ISDN tariffs. Highly relevant is the recent decision by the Delaware PSC approving a flat rate residential ISDN tariff of $28.02, about $221 less than the rate requested by Bell Atlantic. In Arkansas, the Northern Arkansas Telephone Company charges only $17.90 per month, flat rate, for residential ISDN service. In California, the Roseville Telephone Company charges $29.50 for residential ISDN. Four of the five Midwest states served by Ameritech offer ISDN at a little more than twice the POTS rate with no per minute charges (Illinois $28.05 to $34.50, Ohio $32.20, Michigan $33.51, and Wisconsin $30.90). In Tennessee, BellSouth charges $25 to $29 for flat rate ISDN. In New Mexico, the Commission recently approved a $40 flat rate. You can get a better Bell Atlantic ISDN tariff if you fight now! The most important immediate thing is to get comments into the record in opposition to the BA filing, and to ask for lower rates. It is also helpful to call up the Commission in your state and talk to the staff person who is assigned to the issue. In addition to the Bell Atlantic ISDN Action page (http://www.essential.org/cpt/isdn/bellnews.html), you might find these links helpful. CPT's ISDN pricing talking points: http://www.essential.org/cpt/isdn/isdntalk.html Fred Goldstein's ISDN pricing talking points. http://www.essential.org/cpt/isdn/fred.txt James Love (love@tap.org/202-387-8030 Consumer Project on Technology http://www.essential.org/cpt ------------------------------------------------------------ INFO-POLICY-NOTES is a free Internet newsletter. Subscriptions from listproc@essential.org. Archives at http://www.essential.org/listproc/info-policy-notes/ Materials may be redisseminated widely on the Internet. --- Date: Wed, 26 Jun 1996 11:31:12 -0400 From: Lance Hepburn To: isdn@psc.state.md.us Subject: ISDN Tariff PSC, I am a user of ISDN, and I find that it is a dependable service. Although, I find that pay-per-minute charges can be a problem. I am happy to discover that Bell Atlantic-MD has filed a tariff to allow different packages with time included. This will eliminate "sticker shock" when I receive my monthly ISDN bill from Bell Atlantic. I can fit my usage into a package that best suits my needs, for example the 20 hour package that I have read about. In addition, I read the Telephony Journals and Trade Magazines regularly. I realize that ISDN is not cheap to implement on a State-wide basis. Therefore, the hype that I am reading and hearing regarding Bell Atlantic's attempt to "hose" the consumer seem to be a little harsh. As with any business, Bell Atlantic must make money (granted not at the expense of the consumer) and I have faith that the PSC will determine if Bell Atlantic is out to get the consumer. (Yes, there are a few of us left that have faith in government) :) All in all, I believe the packages for ISDN are a good start to a useful service being made available to "the masses". Thank you for your time, Lance Hepburn 3808 Proctor Lane Baltimore, MD 21236-4747 --- Date: Wed, 26 Jun 1996 07:54:08 -0400 From: Subject: ISDN Tariff To: ISDN@psc.state.md.us Hello, My question is: How do we take a step forward in the use of new technologies in the home if prohibitive cost is a factor in the decision? Maryland has had flat rate residential service as long as I've lived here. I don't understand why ISDN should be treated any differently. Certainly there should be a somewhat higher per month charge in return for the new technology, but where are we going with this if the end users are unable to afford it? Among the home users will be those university students who would like to do Internet research from the privacy of their homes. Most students could not afford to pay such extravagant rates and would be limited to speeds provided by a 28.8 modem. Internet access by way of ISDN would be a big help to them *if* they can obtain it. Frankly, I am adamantly against mandatory per minute charges on residential switched local services. It will be in the best interest of all concerned to make flat rate use of ISDN (for local calls) affordable to all residential customers. Fred Atkinson Gaithersburg, Maryland Phone: (301) 977-3778. q----------------------------Fred Atkinson-----------------------------p }Graduate Student/Johns Hopkins Univ./Telecommunications Management{ }B.S. National Louis University/Management{ }A.S. Midlands Technical College/Electronics Engineering Technology{ }Extra Class Amateur Radio Operator/WB4AEJ{ }Licensed General Class Commercial Radiotelephone Technician{ }N.A.R.T.E. Certified First Class Telecommunications Technician{ }Second Degree Blackbelt/Tae Kwon Do{ }Home Page: http://www.wp.com/fatkinson{ d------------------------fatkinson@mail.wdn.com------------------------b --- Date: Wed, 26 Jun 1996 23:46:49 -0400 From: MichaelNewcomb To: isdn@psc.state.md.us Subject: ISDN RESIDENTIAL RATES PSC, As a concerned Internet surfer, I am worried that Bell Atlantic (BA) will have ISDN rates at unreasonably high levels. The proposed $249 per month or $3988 per year unlimited usage is unrealistic for the average internet user. Maybe that would be appropriate for Business rates but I as a computer enthusist dont make any money off the net. At least not yet! So the rate is just a tremendous drain on my budget. Especially since I'm only on the net for about 10 to 15 hours/week. ISDN is an increase of the speed that I can receive data. Most users dont transmit data or require transmission rates of 64 or 128KBS. Yes it is a great enhancement but what fool is going to spend approximately $4000/year plus to surf the net at faster rate while working or playing at home for 40 or 50 hours a month, just for the phone hook up. What about the cost for the ISP ($220/year) and the added costs of software and the computer. Who can afford up to $5000 per year, especially if you only make 30-35 thousand per year. I understand that BA is in business to earn money for their shareholders, but if the rates are lower(say $1.25/hour, sounds more reasonable!) then more subscribers would be willing to pay the increased rates for the added enhancements. BA has to build and deploy the enhancements for the selected residential areas that ask for the service already. So if there are more subscribers, the infrastructure would then be payed off earlier and profit will be realized earlier. I see this an area where competition for service would be a great point of contention between phone service providers such as Sprint, MCI, and BA. Subscribers will migrate to the cheaper provider that maintains quality service. If BA goes ahead with the proposed rates they can be assured that one of the other providers will jumpin and grab up the remaining market, which I believe will be MASSIVE in the coming years. Our legislaters should be involved in keeping this service to a more reasonable rates so that the ISDN capability be universal to all residents not just the selected few that can afford such exorbitant rates. BRING DOWN THE PRICES SO US COMMON USERS CAN INVOLVED IN THE CYBERSPACE COMMUNITY!!! Only Business users can afford such prices. So give the little guy/gal a break. BA will be better off, besides look at the public relations effect by thinking of the common user. I for one will wait till the prices are more reasonable. I'm satisfied with the 28.8 hook up I have now because it cost me no more than regular phone service and BA gets no more from me. If I were to get ISDN I would expect to spend more but not enough to buy a new car. I would be glad to add my two cents to any discussion or campain to get the ISDN rates down. I appreciate you taking the time to read this email and hope it adds to the growing list of concerned people that are willing to speak up. Good Luck and keep fighting the good fight. Very respectfully, Michael Newcomb College Student mtnewc19@us.net --- Date: Wed, 26 Jun 1996 15:32:33 +0500 From: John McGing To: isdn@psc.state.md.us Subject: ISDN pricing I'm writing to let you know that I think that the tarifs proposed by Bell Atlantic for residential ISDN are way out of line. The fact that Deleware as well as oter State PSCs have found ISDN rates to cost far less than what BA is saying is quite telling. ISDN has never taken off due to the rpicing structure, and yet it's needed more than ever. ONly after cable started making noises about delivering better bandwidth to the consumer did BA even try and get competitive. High bandwidth is soon to be both common and a necessity, but while I agree a product deserves a fair price, the tariffs BA proposes are not fair. I would submit that the proper rate structure is more in line with Delaware than what has been proposed. Sincerely John McGing -- ------------------------------------------------------------------ jmcging@access.digex.net Nobody knows the troubles I've seen JOHN.PF on GEnie Team OS/2 .... and nobody cares! http://www.access.digex.net/~jmcging --- Date: Fri, 24 May 1996 10:54:27 -0400 From: Adrian Roseboom To: ISDN@psc.state.md.us Subject: Bell Atlantic Proposed tariff Docket Number ISDN TariffBell Atlantic Transmittal 963, Dated June 3, 1996 I am a government contractor who was born and raised in Bethesda, Maryland. I have been a resident for 27 years. I am an Internet Developer for a Federal Agency located in Washington, DC. I was shocked by the tariffs proposed by Bell Atlantic. To see so many other states finalize pricing at a few times the cost of a standard phone line, and then see Bell Atlantic propose a cost around 15 times their basic service , and an amazing 54 times for unlimited time. I was astounded at their audacity. How could they possibly justify such costs? I worked briefly for a local Internet provider in Clinton, MD who had had several disconcerting experiences with Bell Atlantic. Intercom Micro Systems (IMS) discovered that Bell Atlantic had been working with a major internet access provider in order to offer a new service. Suddenly IMS' new phone lines became extremely expensive. Apparently Bell Atlantic felt that, by controlling both the cost of the phone lines and offering their own access, they could squeeze smaller businesses out. They have proven to me that they can be very predatory and have little fear of using their monopoly in the area as a tool. More evidence of their monopoly is right in their pricing structure. They have displayed the price structure in measured rates, but only using half of the line's capacity. This is a common deception in displaying "facts". Take care to deal with real units. They have also placed a blanket cost over seven states that is magnitudes more expensive than most other states. Are they claiming that it is just as expensive to place ISDN access in West Virginia as in Maryland's Technology corridor? It appears to me that they see vast profits in all the small businesses dealing in technology and want to tap into the pockets of potential customers in the wealthier areas, such as Potomac. What is being left out is who would be hurt by such prices. Using a 28.8 modem is now considered the defacto minimum for World Wide Web access. Mind you, that is a minimum, not average. This information is coming from someone who designs content for the Federal Government on the World Wide Web. Combine that with the need to connect several users and you can see that regular Bell Atlantic phone lines are incapable of supporting more than one or two users. Bell Atlantic also provides the only other option: direct connection. Using Frame Relay (at 56kbps) or a direct connection (typically 56kpbs to 100 MB/s), you must pruchase this line from Bell Atlantic and pay monthly fees. Essentially, if you want internet access you must go through Bell Atlantic to get it. There is the possiblity of using your Television Cable provider in a few years but, until then, Bell Atlantic holds all the cards. The average household is just now exhibiting a need for ISDN. The primary customers are small offices, libraries, small businesses, and schools. These are the customers that Bell Atlantic would have choose between an overpriced direct connection and an overpriced ISDN line. They have no other options. Were ISDN pricing to be made at a more reasonable figure, somewhere between the low limits of around twenty dollars per month (unlimited usage, always check the units) and the high end of eighty dollars per month (unlimited), internet access would become a viable option for an immense number of businesses, small libraries, and schools. Home users would also be able to use ISDN's many features and higher bandwidth. In retaining this lower line cost, the area could continue, or perhaps even improve on , its ability to draw in technology related businesses. These new businesses, and the libraries, schools, and home users, would all require Internet Access Providers to dial into. This would add more jobs and income within our state and promote small businesses. Such an environment of technology promotion cannot help but draw in highly educated individuals and high potential companies. Drawing these individuals into our state imrpoves our tax base, allowing us to improve our neghborhoods, school systems, and help those in need. This pricing structure has more far reaching effects than most can fathom. Bell Atlantic has shown a shortsightedness and monopolized greed in determining their pricing structure. They realize that our state has tried to stay in the forefront and they would like to determine the price of our ticket. I am not going to whine just because I want a lower phone bill. I am asking that you, our representation in these matters, protect the average citizen from an immense monopoly. I haven't heard of any phone companies going belly-up due to ISDN pricing structures, so Bell Atlantic's unlimited (NOT usage based) rates should be capped at an amount somewhere approximating the average of the other states who have designated such caps (ignoring such high and low extremes as seems reasonable). Caps should also be placed on installation fees as, no doubt, they would merely increase these charges to make up for any decrease in their tariff suggestions. In setting these prices, you are setting the tone of technology in this state for the next decade. Maryland has the potential to be an example for the rest of the country, and since it involves the internet, perhaps an example for the world. Adrian Roseboom constituent --- Date: Fri, 24 May 1996 10:54:27 -0400 From: Adrian Roseboom To: ISDN@psc.state.md.us Subject: Bell Atlantic Proposed tariff Docket Number ISDN TariffBell Atlantic Transmittal 963, Dated June 3, 1996 I am a government contractor who was born and raised in Bethesda, Maryland. I have been a resident for 27 years. I am an Internet Developer for a Federal Agency located in Washington, DC. I was shocked by the tariffs proposed by Bell Atlantic. To see so many other states finalize pricing at a few times the cost of a standard phone line, and then see Bell Atlantic propose a cost around 15 times their basic service , and an amazing 54 times for unlimited time. I was astounded at their audacity. How could they possibly justify such costs? I worked briefly for a local Internet provider in Clinton, MD who had had several disconcerting experiences with Bell Atlantic. Intercom Micro Systems (IMS) discovered that Bell Atlantic had been working with a major internet access provider in order to offer a new service. Suddenly IMS' new phone lines became extremely expensive. Apparently Bell Atlantic felt that, by controlling both the cost of the phone lines and offering their own access, they could squeeze smaller businesses out. They have proven to me that they can be very predatory and have little fear of using their monopoly in the area as a tool. More evidence of their monopoly is right in their pricing structure. They have displayed the price structure in measured rates, but only using half of the line's capacity. This is a common deception in displaying "facts". Take care to deal with real units. They have also placed a blanket cost over seven states that is magnitudes more expensive than most other states. Are they claiming that it is just as expensive to place ISDN access in West Virginia as in Maryland's Technology corridor? It appears to me that they see vast profits in all the small businesses dealing in technology and want to tap into the pockets of potential customers in the wealthier areas, such as Potomac. What is being left out is who would be hurt by such prices. Using a 28.8 modem is now considered the defacto minimum for World Wide Web access. Mind you, that is a minimum, not average. This information is coming from someone who designs content for the Federal Government on the World Wide Web. Combine that with the need to connect several users and you can see that regular Bell Atlantic phone lines are incapable of supporting more than one or two users. Bell Atlantic also provides the only other option: direct connection. Using Frame Relay (at 56kbps) or a direct connection (typically 56kpbs to 100 MB/s), you must pruchase this line from Bell Atlantic and pay monthly fees. Essentially, if you want internet access you must go through Bell Atlantic to get it. There is the possiblity of using your Television Cable provider in a few years but, until then, Bell Atlantic holds all the cards. The average household is just now exhibiting a need for ISDN. The primary customers are small offices, libraries, small businesses, and schools. These are the customers that Bell Atlantic would have choose between an overpriced direct connection and an overpriced ISDN line. They have no other options. Were ISDN pricing to be made at a more reasonable figure, somewhere between the low limits of around twenty dollars per month (unlimited usage, always check the units) and the high end of eighty dollars per month (unlimited), internet access would become a viable option for an immense number of businesses, small libraries, and schools. Home users would also be able to use ISDN's many features and higher bandwidth. In retaining this lower line cost, the area could continue, or perhaps even improve on , its ability to draw in technology related businesses. These new businesses, and the libraries, schools, and home users, would all require Internet Access Providers to dial into. This would add more jobs and income within our state and promote small businesses. Such an environment of technology promotion cannot help but draw in highly educated individuals and high potential companies. Drawing these individuals into our state imrpoves our tax base, allowing us to improve our neghborhoods, school systems, and help those in need. This pricing structure has more far reaching effects than most can fathom. Bell Atlantic has shown a shortsightedness and monopolized greed in determining their pricing structure. They realize that our state has tried to stay in the forefront and they would like to determine the price of our ticket. I am not going to whine just because I want a lower phone bill. I am asking that you, our representation in these matters, protect the average citizen from an immense monopoly. I haven't heard of any phone companies going belly-up due to ISDN pricing structures, so Bell Atlantic's unlimited (NOT usage based) rates should be capped at an amount somewhere approximating the average of the other states who have designated such caps (ignoring such high and low extremes as seems reasonable). Caps should also be placed on installation fees as, no doubt, they would merely increase these charges to make up for any decrease in their tariff suggestions. In setting these prices, you are setting the tone of technology in this state for the next decade. Maryland has the potential to be an example for the rest of the country, and since it involves the internet, perhaps an example for the world. Adrian Roseboom constituent --- Date: Wed, 26 Jun 96 11:46:45 EDT From: "Alan G. Isaac" Organization: The American University Subject: ISDN rates To: ISDN@psc.state.md.us Dear PSC: Bell Atlantic's proposed ISDN tariffs are too high. They will limit access in MD to the fastest growing area of commerce and communication. There is no cost justification for these high tariffs: it is simply an attempt by Bell Atlantic to exploit its monopoly position. The growth of the Internet is explosive. It is in the interest of the State of MD to ride this crest. Inexpensive ISDN is crucial to broad participation: even at 28.8k, ordinary modems connections are simply too slow for Internet commerce. Note the recent decision by the Delaware PSC, approving a flat monthlyh rate residential ISDN tariff of $28.02, about $221 less than the rate requested by Bell Atlantic. Clearly, the rate structure proposed by Bell Atlantic is not linked to their cost structure. PLEASE PROTECT THE PUBLIC INTEREST AND THE INTERESTS OF THE STATE OF MD! FOLLOW THE DELAWARE PSC EXAMPLE!! Sincerely, Alan G. Isaac Association Professor of Economics, American Univeristy aisaac@american.edu --- From: "J. Michael Davis" To: "'psc@ari.net'" Subject: Late Night Banter about Bell Atlantic Date: Mon, 24 Jun 1996 23:50:33 -0400 Mr. Frisby, I must apologize to you for my late night banter concerning Bell = Atlantic and residential ISDN service yesterday morning. As I was doing = some late night research for our local school system, my frustrations = with the lack of tangible telecommunications progress came to boil. Only = after I got to work a mere six hours later did I read my unproofed = printout of my writing. I was obviously asleep at the keyboard. I hope = that I haven't upset too many people. However, misspelled words and all, I still am disappointed with the = apparent future direction that customer service is heading in regards to = our schools, libraries and homes for high speed and large volume access = to " Today's Information Technology ".=20 I hope that you overlook the cheap shots and see the underlying message. = I work with a large group of technical professionals who value quality = public service for our community. We are trying very hard to make ends = meet with limited resources. Again, I ask for another chance to get my message to you and ask for = your support in any way. Thank you again for listening. James Davis P.O. Box 228 California, MD 20619-0228 --- Date: Wed, 3 Jul 1996 14:42:04 -0400 To: ISDN@psc.state.md.us Dear Public Service Commission, I am writing to object to the outrageous rates being set for ISDN service in Maryland. As a frequent user of the information available on the Internet, both personally and professionally, I object to rates that make ISDN service unaffordable by most individuals, schools and non-profit organizations. The amount of information on the Internet is tremendous. Recent advances in technology permit novice users of the internet easy access to large volumes of information. The advances providing graphics, images, sound and video over the net are sure to increase the demand for bandwidth. Current service to homes via 28.8 modems is currently far too slow. Current software distributions distributed by Apple computer and others can take several hours to days just to download. The need for increased bandwith is certain to increase in the future, not diminish. Current ISDN pricing in Maryland makes access expensive for businesses and out-of-reach for most households, schools and libraries. I would like to see the flat rate for ISDN service as reasonable as that of local phone service. This pricing structure would encourage the spread of ISDN technology and allow all of the citizens of Maryland access to the wealth of information available to them on the Internet. Sincerely, Cynthia L. Starr .............................................................................. . Cindy Starr, Senior Scientist . . . Hughes Information Technology Corp. . cindy@caspian.gsfc.nasa.gov . . Scientific Visualization Studio . . . NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 932 . (301) 286-4583 . . Greenbelt, MD 20771 . . .............................................................................. --- From: "J. Michael Davis" To: "'psc@ari.net'" Subject: July 3rd Hearing Date: Mon, 24 Jun 1996 01:36:55 -0400 Dear Mr. Frisby, I think the July 3rd PSC hearing on residential ISDN service is an outrage. How many average consumers will be there? Even if only by chance this scheduled hearing fell on the day most Marylander's will be traveling to a weekend of summer rest, Bell Atlantic will again using this kind tactic by pulling a fast one on the consumers of Non-metered Voice grade ISDN BRI services. Any filing for price caps or changes of pricing for ISDN is BAD for consumers. As the cost of AT&T/Bell teleco equipment drops this fall by 100+%from higher volume purchases, we the consumers will not benefit from those cost savings. Bell Atlantic has only given "lip service" to the it's clients. Even as we speak, some of our local schools, governments and libraries are trying to use the Blanket Purchase Agreement contract for Frame Relay and ISDN from the Maryland State Telecommunications Office, but from what I hear, Bell Atlantic went crying foul behind closed doors to the the governors chief of staff(s). I am also shocked to see press releases that I will be funding yet another public service fee (tax) to get Maryland Schools on-line this fall. What funding agency will collect and distribute these funds. What analysis was done? Are those facts available to the general public ? On-line ? Thanks for your time, James Davis P.O. Box 228 California, Maryland 20619-0228 --- Date: Thu, 4 Jul 1996 22:06:08 -0400 (EDT) From: William Kisse To: isdn@psc.state.md.us Subject: Bell Atlantic ISDN Pricing Dear Sirs: This message is being sent to encourage you to recommend that ISDN service be offered on a flat-rate basis in our area. ISDN is a wonderful opportunity to encourage the use of computers for communication and any "per minute" usage charges will be counter productive to computer use. Thank you for your consideration. Regards. Bill Kisse. Bill Kisse...............(wkisse@cpcug.org)...........Video Labs Corporation 1+ (301) 217-0000........................................15237 Display Court 1+ (301) 217-0044 (Fax).............................Rockville, MD USA 20850