🚀 go-pugleaf

bernie@metapro.DIALix.oz.au (Bernd Felsche) wrote:

>In <Pine.BSD/.3.91.950820195557.21377B-100000@juicer.magna.com.au>
>   Ian or Katts <ianw@juicer.magna.com.au> writes:

>>On 14 Aug 1995, Mr J Cameron wrote:

>>> GuyD@world.net wrote:

>>> [stuff about cyptography ban deleted]

>>> : It is a fact that Telstra had a software development project in
>>> : progress in early 1995, who's aim is to monitor and log phone connections
>>> : through their exchanges, to determine:-
>>> :   a) Which calls are voice, and which are modem.
>>> :   b) If modem, what baud rate and protocol.
>>> :   c) Given (b), to determine whether the link is using encryption.
>>> :   d) Lastly, given a positive (c), to attempt to analyse what _sort_
>>> :      of encryption it is.

>>My guess is so that they can time-charge modems, but without 
>>time-charging voice. This means that they can get more revenue, without 
>>risking the political firestorm that timed local calls would bring.

>It would be unreliable to put in an automatic time-charging for modems;
>how can they reliably tell the difference on a per-call basis?

Waste of time and money even if it could be done.

>Besides, the ensuing revolt as the general public gets more "connected"
>will probably cause many, many headaches to the phone company.

Timed local calls would not be so bad if the benefit that the phone
companies got out of it was passed on to consumers. However that is
unlikely to happen.

What is feasible though, like in the US, is to have a certain range of
local calls which are free and make the rest timed. Depending on the
amount of line rental you pay, for example, you could get a range of x
kilometers of free local phone calls from your home. If you call
anyone outside of this area you are charged on a per minute basis.


Cheers,

Rhys