On Sat, 24 Jan 1998, NetSurfer wrote: ) Your local telephone company has filed a proposal with the ) FCC to impose per minute charges for your internet service. ) They contend that your usage has or will hinder the operation of the ) ) ---snip --- ) ) FCC E Mail address isp@fcc.gov ) ) This is really important. If we have to pay for e-mail , the cost is ) going to skyrocket. ) It's about the only thing now that is cost-effective. ) Please make your opinions known to the FCC. http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Common_Carrier/Factsheets/ispfact.html: [...] Please Note: There is no open comment period in this proceeding. If you have recently seen a message on the Internet stating that in response to a request from local telephone companies, the FCC is requesting comments to <isp@fcc.gov> by February 1998, be aware that this information is inaccurate. [...] Q: Is the FCC considering allowing local phone companies to impose access charges on ISPs? A: The FCC requested public comment in December 1996 on whether ISPs should pay current access charges, and more generally on how Internet and interstate information services that use local telephone networks should be treated. The Commission concluded on May 7, 1997 that ISPs should not be subject to interstate access charges. There is currently no open comment period on this issue. [...] Q: Is this the "FCC modem tax" that has been floating around the Internet in various forms for several years? A: The "modem tax" referred to a proposal in 1987 to require enhanced service providers to pay interstate access charges, which at that time were significantly higher than they are today. The 1987 proposal was abandoned in 1988. The current Access Reform proceeding is entirely separate. -- Daniel Reed <n@narnia.n.ml.org> (3CE060DD) System administrator of narnia.n.ml.org (narnia.mhv.net [199.0.0.118]) Mitchell's Law of Committees: Any simple problem can be made insoluble if enough meetings are held to discuss it.