SA>> Great, the land of Timed calls.. :( Just what we all need.
SA>> I wonder where Optus stand on this?.
JP> Optus's 20c (UNTIMED) local calls are going to sound more attractive (and 
JP> will ultimately be a necessity) if Telstra manages to actually get away 

Optus pays Telstra a timed usage charge already. It currently offers (via
the 1456-0-localcode mousehole) untimed local calls on which Optus loses
money (on long duration calls). When Optus' net gets a little larger, these
losses will be /completely unacceptable/. They haven't been addressed right
now probably because they have bigger fish to fry and the volume of these
weird calls isn't very great.

If Telstra brings in these charges, I believe after some initial messing
about with price structures, the situation will stabilize thus (for local
calls) :

 * Telstra to Telstra data   : timed
 * Telstra to Optus data     : timed
 * Optus to Optus data       : untimed until Optus' Internet services go up
 * Optus to Telstra data     : timed, lower rate than Telstra-originated

 * Telstra to Telstra voice  : untimed $0.25
 * Telstra to Optus voice    : timed
 * Optus to Optus voice      : untimed $0.20
 * Optus to Telstra voice    : timed

I think timed voice calls will be priced with what was previously a call
unit buying you about 10 minutes of talk time.

JP> Lewin's draft letter will open a pandora's box of opinions and hostility 
JP> towards good old Telstra in AUST_SYSOP (et al.) and AUST_TELECOM.
Yes, and some drivel from Rod Speed which inadvertently got deleted after I
read the first two lines. Shame, that, the Del key being so attractive,
like.

-- Lewin A.R.W. Edwards [Team OS/2]  Tel 0419320415 * 0412809805 * 0414927056
@EOT:

--- MsgedSQ/2 3.35