[at-l] internet access not trail related

[Gary Reardon <greardon@disaster-relief.net>]

At 07:56 AM 3/5/99 , you wrote:

>This is a little confusing, but here goes. The service provider that
>originates a long distance VOICE call has to pay a termination fee to the
>service provider that terminates the call. However, in the case of ISPs

Actually they have to pay the local terminating company on ANY call, local
or long distance.

>This is NOT about raising you rates that you pay the ISP. This is about
>removing an extra income the ISP is currently receiving. If you are using a
>small, local ISP, this isn't even an issue. Only if you are dialing into an
>ISP long distance does this become important. Local pops that forward to
>regional collectors count as long distance in this instance, even if you are
>local to the pop.

The ISP doesn't make any money on this at all.  The issue is with local
competing carriers or CLEC's (Brooks Fiber is one in my area). A lot of ISP
are buying there local circuits from CLEC's because they are getting a
better rate.  The local Bell company has to pay the CLEC for EVERY call
that terminates there & the CLEC has to pay the local Bell the same way.
Normally this isn't a issue because the typical phone line has calls going
both ways. With a ISP, they are only receiving call which create a
significant imbalance.  The ruling would void payments for these types of
calls.
It wouldn't suprise me to see this changed to apply to call centers &
answering services also.


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