TELECOM Digest     Sat, 22 Oct 2005 14:32:00 EDT    Volume 24 : Issue 481

Inside This Issue:                             Editor: Patrick A. Townson

    RIM Ruling Risks US Blackberry Shutdown (Jeffrey Hodgson)
    More U.S. Lawmakers Want Control of Internet (Andy Sulivan) 
    More Katrina Fraud (U.S. Newswire)
    Amex Sues CEO of Communications Company Over Strip Club Bill (Samuel Maull)
    Re: Cellular-News for Friday 21st October 2005 (Joseph)
    Re: Google Loses Name 'gmail' in Lawsuit Against Company (DevilsPGD)
    Re: Voice Calls Will be Completely Free in a Few Years (Dave Close)
    Re: Virgin Mobile Unusual Charges (Joseph)
    Re: Virgin Mobile Unusual Charges (Barry Margolin)

Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the
Internet.  All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and
the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other
journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are
included in the fair use quote.  By using -any name or email address-
included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article
herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the
email.

               ===========================

Addresses herein are not to be added to any mailing list, nor to be
sold or given away without explicit written consent.  Chain letters,
viruses, porn, spam, and miscellaneous junk are definitely unwelcome.

We must fight spam for the same reason we fight crime: not because we
are naive enough to believe that we will ever stamp it out, but because
we do not want the kind of world that results when no one stands
against crime.   Geoffrey Welsh

               ===========================

See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details
and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest.  

----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Jeffrey Hodgson <reuters@telecom-digest.org>
Subject: RIM Ruling Risks US Blackberry Shutdown
Date: Sat, 22 Oct 2005 12:05:31 -0500


By Jeffrey Hodgson

Research in Motion Ltd. moved closer on Friday to an injunction that
could halt U.S. sales of its popular BlackBerry wireless device after
it lost a bid to suspend a patent case against it.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit denied RIM's motion
to stay the case until the U.S. Supreme Court decided whether to
accept RIM's request for an appeal.

The case goes back to 2002, when patent holding company NTP
successfully sued RIM in a lower court. It won an injunction in 2003
to halt U.S. sales of the BlackBerry and shut down its service,
although that ruling was stayed pending appeal.

The appeals court scaled back the initial ruling, but still concluded
that RIM infringed on NTP patents. RIM shares sank earlier this month
when the appeals court refused to reconsider the matter further.

The case will now move back to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern
District of Virginia where it was first heard by Judge James Spencer.

NTP said on Friday it will ask the court to confirm the injunction. It
said an injunction would not affect BlackBerry products used by
U.S. federal, state, or local governments, where the wireless email
device has become increasingly popular.

RIM said it believed an injunction was inappropriate but added: "It
ultimately will be up to the courts to decide these matters and there
can never be an assurance of a favorable outcome in any litigation."

The Waterloo, Ontario-based firm will also ask the U.S. Supreme Court
to suspend proceedings pending a possible review, although it
acknowledged this was "generally uncommon."

FAILED SETTLEMENT

RIM and NTP reached a $450 million settlement on the dispute in March,
but the deal fell apart in June. RIM wants the lower court to enforce
the agreement.

Canaccord Capital analyst Peter Misek said there was now a 50 percent
chance RIM and NTP may reach a settlement of between $450 million to
$1 billion. He said there was a 20 percent chance that an injunction
is issued.

"We believe the impact of an injunction to RIM would be severe. We
would guess that the stock could fall $20 to $50 per share," Misek
said in a note to clients.

RIM shares closed down 3.6 percent, or $2.32, at $62.34 on Nasdaq on
volume of more than 13.2 million. In Toronto, the stock lost C$1.75 to
close at C$74.

American Technology Research analyst Rob Sanderson said the latest
ruling should not come as a surprise.

"What RIM was asking was to not move this case forward until the
Supreme Court can decide. That request is almost never granted, so
it's not unexpected," he said.

He said decisions for the lower court judge will include whether to
reconfirm the injunction, whether to stay it pending review, and
whether the earlier settlement was valid.

Sanderson said RIM may have helped its position by showing it was
willing to settle, as courts prefer to see settlements in such cases.

He also noted that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office recently
finished reexamining eight NTP patents and issued initial rulings
rejecting 100 percent of the claims.

Those rulings are not final and NTP has said it plans to see the full
reexamination process through, which could take years. Some analysts
have said that until that process is complete, the patents remain
valid in the eyes of the court.

Copyright 2005 Reuters Limited.

NOTE: For more telecom/internet/networking/computer news from the
daily media, check out our feature 'Telecom Digest Extra' each day at
http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/more-news.html . Hundreds of new
articles daily.

------------------------------

From: Andy Sullivan <reuters@telecom-digest.org> 
Subject: More Lawmakers Back U.S. Control of Internet
Date: Sat, 22 Oct 2005 12:09:49 -0500


By Andy Sullivan

Three lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives called on Friday
for the Internet's core infrastructure to remain under U.S. control,
essentially ICANN, echoing similar language introduced in the Senate
earlier this week.

The resolution, introduced by two Republicans and one Democrat, aims
to line up Congress firmly behind the Bush administration as it heads
for a showdown with much of the rest of the world over control of the
global computer network.

"Turning the Internet over to countries with problematic human-rights
records, muted free-speech laws, and questionable taxation practices
will prevent the Internet from remaining the thriving medium it has
become today," said California Republican Rep. John Doolittle in a
statement.

Doolittle introduced the resolution with Virginia Republican Rep. Bob
Goodlatte and Virginia Democratic Rep. Rick Boucher.

Countries including Brazil and Iran want an international body to
oversee the addressing system that guides traffic across the Internet,
which is currently overseen by a California nonprofit body -- ICANN --
that answers to the U.S. Department of Commerce.

The European Union withdrew its support of the current system last
month, and the issue is expected to come to a head at a U.N. summit
meeting in Tunisia in November.

The Bush administration has made clear that it intends to maintain
control.

If a settlement is not reached, Internet users in different parts of
the globe could potentially wind up at different Web sites when they
type an address into their browsers.

U.S. lawmakers have backed the Bush administration's stance, arguing
that a U.N. group would stifle innovation with excessive bureaucracy
and enable repressive regimes to curtail free expression online.

Top Republicans and Democrats on the House Commerce Committee sent a
letter of support to the Bush administration earlier this month. In
the Senate, Minnesota Republican Norm Coleman has introduced a
resolution supporting the administration's stance.

"The United States is uniquely positioned in the world to protect the
fundamental principles of free press and free speech, upon which the
Internet has thrived," Goodlatte said in a statement.

The United States has not always taken a hands-off approach to
Internet regulation. In August the Commerce Department asked the
Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, the California
body that oversees domain names, to postpone action on a proposed .xxx
domain for sex sites.

Copyright 2005 Reuters Limited.

NOTE: For more telecom/internet/networking/computer news from the
daily media, check out our feature 'Telecom Digest Extra' each day at
http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/more-news.html . Hundreds of new
articles daily.


[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Things are looking sort of grim for the
countries which want to see a non-ICANN controlled, non-business dominated
internet. It would appear that Vint Cerf gets to retain control unless
some philanthropist(s) comes along to develop a new system of root 
servers, and encourage webmasters to go along with them.  PAT]

------------------------------

From: U.S. News Wire <newswire@telecom-digest.org> 
Subject: More Katrina Fraud
Date: Sat, 22 Oct 2005 12:14:08 -0500


Feds Charge Atlanta Woman With Filing Two False Claims For FEMA
Hurricane Victims Funds

Contact: David E. Nahmias or F. Gentry Shelnutt through Patrick
Crosby, Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Attorney's Office, 404-581-6016

WASHINGTON, Oct. 21 /U.S. Newswire/ -- David E. Nahmias, United States
Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia; Gregory Jones, Special
Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation; Martin Phanco,
Inspector in Charge, United States Postal Inspection Service; and
Richard L. Skinner, Inspector General of the Department of Homeland
Security, today announced the arrest of JOZELL LOIS DICKERSON, 35, of
Lawrenceville, Georgia.  DICKERSON is charged in a federal indictment
with aggravated identity theft, stealing money from the United States
government, making false claims, and using a false social security
number, in connection with two false claims made to the Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for $4,000 in relief funds
available to victims of Hurricane Katrina. According to Nahmias, the
indictment and information presented in court today:

DICKERSON, who was not a resident of New Orleans at the time of
Hurricane Katrina, used two different New Orleans addresses and the
social security number of another person within a span of one week to
make two false claims for FEMA monies meant for Hurricane Katrina
victims. September 8, 2005, DICKERSON made false statements about her
"New Orleans" residence in a call to FEMA, and gave her actual social
security number. On September 14, DICKERSON again called in to FEMA
making false statements and used a false social security number.

DICKERSON received a $2,000 electronic funds transfer on September 12
and another $2,000 electronic funds transfer on September16. DICKERSON
faces a mandatory minimum of two years in prison on the aggravated
identity theft charge, in addition to a potential maximum penalty of
up to 20 years in federal prison on the additional charges, and a
maximum fine of over $1 million.

U.S. Attorney David Nahmias said of the case: "To date, U.S. Attornies
across the country have brought more than 40 federal prosecutions as
part of the Hurricane Katrina Fraud Task Force. This is the second
Katrina fraud case filed by this office. This defendant allegedly
filed not one but two false claims for hurricane victim funds from
FEMA, stealing another person's identity to use in making the second
false claim. We will not tolerate this sort of fraud, which steals
taxpayer dollars intended to help rebuild the lives of the thousands
of real victims of these terrible natural disasters."

Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales recently created the Hurricane
Katrina Fraud Task Force, designed to deter, investigate and prosecute
disaster related federal crimes such as charity fraud and insurance. 
The Hurricane Katrina Fraud Task Force -- chaired by Assistant Attorney
General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division -- includes members
from the FBI, the Federal Trade Commission, the Postal Inspector's
Office, and the Executive Office of the United States Attorneys, among
others.

Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains
charges. Under the constitution, the defendant is presumed innocent of
the charges and it will be the government's burden to prove the
defendant's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

This case is being investigated by Special Agents of the Federal
Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of Inspectors with the
United States Postal Inspection Service and Special Agents with the
Department of Homeland Security, Office of the Inspector General.

Assistant United States Attorney Richard M. Langway is prosecuting the
case.

For further information please contact David E. Nahmias (pronounced
NAH-me-us), United States Attorney or F. Gentry Shelnutt, Chief,
Criminal Division, through Patrick Crosby, Public Affairs Officer,
U.S. Attorney's Office, at (404) 581- 6016. The Internet address for
the Homepage for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District
of Georgia is http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/gan

http://www.usnewswire.com/

Copyright 2005 U.S. Newswire 202-347-2770/

NOTE: For more telecom/internet/networking/computer news from the
daily media, check out our feature 'Telecom Digest Extra' each day at
http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/more-news.html . Hundreds of new
articles daily.

------------------------------

From: Samuel Maull <ap@telecom-digest.org>
Subject: American Express Sues CEO of Communications Company Over Unpaid Bill
Date: Sat, 22 Oct 2005 12:08:14 -0500


By SAMUEL MAULL, Associated Press Writer

American Express is suing the CEO of a communications company for
payment of $241,000 worth of disputed credit card charges at a
Manhattan topless club.

American Express says in papers filed in state court that Savvis
Inc. chief executive officer Robert A. McCormick was in the club
Scores in October 2003 with at least three other men.

After McCormick got the $241,000 corporate credit card bill, Savvis
called American Express and complained that some of the charges were
fraudulent, the lawsuit says. The communications company said its
chief disputed all but about $20,000, according to the lawsuit.

"We firmly believe that Mr. McCormick was the victim of fraud," said
Deena Williamson, Savvis' deputy general counsel. She declined to
comment further.

Lonnie Hanover, a Scores spokesman, said he had not talked to all of
the employees involved with McCormick and could not say what the CEO
purchased.

The lawsuit filed Wednesday against McCormick and Savvis is at least
the third in the past two years involving contested credit card
charges at Scores. One patron sued the club after he got a $28,000
bill and another disputed $129,000 in charges.

After a lawsuit last year, Hanover said that "high rollers" visiting
Scores' "super elite Presidents' Club" spend thousands of dollars on
single bottles of champagne and tip strippers as much as $10,000 for
lap dances and for spending time with them.

The district attorney's office has said it is investigating alleged
overcharging at Scores.

Hanover said that each time a patron spends $10,000, Scores calls the
customer's credit card company to get the charges approved. Scores
even fingerprints the customer and requires him to get on the
telephone with a credit card representative, he said.

"We got authorization for all of the charges," Hanover said of
McCormick's visit. "We followed proper procedures and documentation,
and we were paid."

Court papers say American Express asked McCormick several times to
provide in writing his basis for calling the charges fraudulent. 
McCormick failed to respond, and when he was billed again he once
again objected to the charges, the lawsuit says.

American Express says McCormick finally responded in writing in
September 2004, reiterating that some charges on the Scores bill were
bogus, the lawsuit says.

Scores has been paid in full, American Express's court papers say,
while neither Savvis nor McCormick has paid any of the
charges. Failure to pay is a violation of the American Express
corporate credit card agreement, court papers say.

An American Express spokeswoman, Judy Tenzer, said she had no comment.

Copyright 2005 The Associated Press.

NOTE: For more telecom/internet/networking/computer news from the
daily media, check out our feature 'Telecom Digest Extra' each day at
http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/more-news.html . Hundreds of new
articles daily.

For additional headlines and news from Associated Press, please go to:
http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/newstoday.html

For stories from Christian Science Monitor and New York Times and
other presses, please go to:
http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra/nytimes.html


[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I am reminded of the former Treasurer
of the University of Illinois (in the early 1990's) who ripped off
about a million dollars from an obscure, seldom used (but not entirely
forgotten about) account at University of Illinois and spent it all in
an infamous strip club/topless dancing place on Mannheim Road in the
Chicago area. This 63-year old fellow, Treasurer/Trustee/VIP at the
University of Illinois was punished severely when internal auditors at
U of I caught up with him. U of I even tried to recover the money by
suing the strip club and they wound up settling with the topless strip
joint for about six hundred thousand dollars. It was quite a big stink
at the time. Many Chicagoans probably remember it happening. PAT]  

------------------------------

From: Joseph <JoeOfSeattle@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: Cellular-News for Friday 21st October 2005
Date: Fri, 21 Oct 2005 18:22:39 -0700
Reply-To: JoeOfSeattle@yahoo.com


Be aware that cellular-news.com now charges 50 pounds which at current
conversion rates is $88.40 today.

On Fri, 21 Oct 2005 07:43:22 -0500, Cellular-News
<dailydigest@cellular-news-mail.com> wrote:

> Cellular-News - http://www.cellular-news.com

> The Ultra Low Cost Cellular Market: Ignore it at Your Peril
> http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14501.php

> While 80% of the world's population lives within range of a cellular
> network, only 25% of it subscribes to a mobile phone service. This
> means there are upwards of three billion potential customers for
> cellular. That, says Alan Varghese, ABI Research'...

> China Mobile Phone Market Expected to Exceed 400 Million Users by Year End 2005
> http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14500.php

> T-Bay Holdings says that according to recent reports, the market for
> mobile phone users in mainland China is expected to exceed 400 million
> by the end of 2005. As announced on September 9, 2005, T-Bay Holdings,
> Inc. acquired a 95% stake in Shanghai S...

> Worldwide Mobile Phone Market Breaks 200 Million Unit Mark in 3Q05
> http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14499.php

> New product introductions, portfolio refreshes, and exciting new form
> factors helped spur growth in the worldwide mobile phone market during
> the third quarter of 2005. According to IDC's Worldwide Quarterly
> Mobile Phone Tracker, worldwide mobile phon...

> Mobile Pictures Driving New Consumer Push for Convergence
> http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14498.php

> Convergence is finding traction in mobile phones, with one-fourth of
> all USA Internet households willing to use a high-resolution camera
> phone as their primary camera, according to the forthcoming report
> "Mobile Market Intelligence" from Parks Associ...

> FOCUS: Russia's MTS offers new tariffs, to abandon Jeans soon
> http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14497.php

> Russia's largest mobile operator Mobile TeleSystems, or MTS, announced
> Wednesday that starting Friday it would offer a new line of
> tariffs. MTS decided to abandon the prepaid tariffs under the Jeans
> brand and focus on the development of the single ...

> Tele.ring Confirms CEO Approached For E-Plus Job
> http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14496.php

> Michael Krammer, the chief executive of Austrian telecommunications
> company Tele.ring, has received job offers from several companies
> including E-Plus, a Tele.ring spokesman said Thursday. ...

> German Prosecutors Contest Acquittals In Mannesmann Case
> http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14495.php

> KARLSRUHE, Germany (AP)--Prosecutors Thursday contested the acquittal
> of Germany's most prominent banker and five others over large payments
> to executives during the 2000 takeover of Mannesmann by Vodafone Group
> PLC (VOD). ...

> Motorola Sues New CEO At Nortel
> http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14494.php

> Motorola Inc. has sued to block former Chief Financial Officer Mike
> Zafirovski from taking the top job at rival Nortel Networks Corp. ...

> Nokia Battles Branding Issues In Music-phone Revolution
> http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14493.php

> [Premium] Nokia is determined to be part of the music-phone
> revolution, though lack of brand appeal could hinder. ...

> China Mobile, Telecom Post Strong Jan-Sep Results
> http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14492.php

> China's top telecommunication companies Thursday reported earnings for
> the first three quarters, with the leading mobile operator continuing
> to post strong growth in a further sign that mobile services are
> substituting for fixed-line services. ...

> EU Court:EUR1.2 Million German Fee For O2 Phone Numbers Illegal
> http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14491.php

> The European Court of Justice Thursday ruled that Germany wasn't
> entitled to charge the German unit of phone company O2 PLC a EUR1.2
> million fee for the allocation of phone numbers. ...

> Nokia Raises Market Outlook After 3Q Profit Jump
> http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14490.php

> Nokia Corp. (NOK) Thursday raised its forecast for the global handset
> market after third-quarter earnings were boosted by rising demand for
> phones with cameras and music players and growth in emerging
> markets. ...

> Willcom Ties With Sharp,Microsoft In Japan Smartphone Operations
> http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14489.php

> Telecom service provider Willcom Inc. said Thursday it will team up
> with Sharp Corp. (6753.TO) and Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) to launch the
> first Japanese handheld communications device using the latest
> "Windows Mobile" operating system. ...

> Siemens Gets EUR70 Million Mobile Technology Order
> http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14488.php

> The communications unit of German technology company Siemens AG (SI)
> has received a EUR70 million order to expand the network capacity of
> Indonesian mobile operator Telkomsel. ...

> O2 To Launch HSDPA Next Month
> http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14487.php

> O2 PLC (OOM.LN), the U.K. mobile telecommunications company, Thursday
> said it will launch a faster third-generation, or 3G, network in the
> Isle of Man on November 1. ...

> France Telecom Buys Orange Slovakia Minority Holders
> http://www.cellular-news.com/story/14486.php

> France Telecom (FTE) said Thursday it has reached an agreement with
> minority shareholders in Orange Slovakia to buy shares it doesn't
> already own, boosting its stake in the mobile phone operator to 100%
> from 63.88%. ...


[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Isn't that charge you quoted above only
to read the items marked 'premium' in their daily stories? I think the
vast majority of their stuff is still free, is it not?   PAT]
           
------------------------------

From: DevilsPGD <spamsucks@crazyhat.net>
Subject: Re: Google Loses Name 'gmail' in Lawsuit Against Company
Date: Fri, 21 Oct 2005 21:29:26 -0600
Organization: Disorganized


In message <telecom24.475.6@telecom-digest.org> Barry Margolin
<barmar@alum.mit.edu> wrote:

> In article <telecom24.474.1@telecom-digest.org>, Reuters News Wire
> <reuters@telecom-digest.org> wrote:

>> Google has already changed the name of its email service from Gmail to
>> Googlemail in Germany, but said it does not plan to change the name in
>> any other countries.

> I'm surprised that Google is so wedded to the Gmail name.  Most of
> their other products and services seem to be called Google something:
> Google Earth, Goole Maps, Google Desktop, Google Groups, for instance.
> One of their most valuable assets is the Google brand, so it seems
> strange that they don't want to use it for this service.

When it comes to email addresses (And to a lessor extent URLs in
general), length is important.

------------------------------

From: Dave Close <dave@compata.com>
Subject: Re: Voice Calls Will be Completely Free in a Few Years
Date: Sat, 22 Oct 2005 05:44:52 UTC
Organization: Compata, Costa Mesa, California


Reuters News Wire <reuters@telecom-digest.org>  writes:

> In a few short years, users can expect to make telephone calls for
> free, with no per-minute charges, as part of a package of services
> through which carriers make money on advertising or transaction fees,
> eBay's chief executive said on Wednesday.

And some of those reading and contributing to this list will /still/
demand that one-plus dialing be required for "toll" calls. Calls may
become free, but any guesses on when the PUCs will eliminate rate
centers? Is there anyone at a PUC who even tries to see the future?


Dave Close, Compata, Costa Mesa CA  "Greed is to the moralists of the
dave@compata.com, +1 714 434 7359    left what sex is to the moralists 
dhclose@alumni.caltech.edu           of the right." - Cathy Young

------------------------------

From: Joseph <JoeOfSeattle@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: Virgin Mobile Unusual Charges
Date: Sat, 22 Oct 2005 08:26:59 -0700
Reply-To: JoeOfSeattle@yahoo.com


On Fri, 21 Oct 2005 22:27:18 GMT, tom.horsley@att.net (Thomas A.
Horsley) wrote:

> I never use the full $20 in each 3 month period anyway, why
> on earth would I want to top up more than a few hours before the
> deadline? (Could it be so that virgin mobile gets more money in the
> bank sooner? :-). 

Maybe if there was a reason you couldn't add minutes at the very last
possible minute.  If you fail to add minutes by the expiration time
you will lose any minutes you have banked on your account.  If losing
any accumulated minutes on your account isn't important to you just
let it go.  When the expiration time comes and goes without any money
all that will happen is that you'll lose any banked time and your
phone will cease to work until you fill it with more time.  I gave a
friend of mine a prepaid account with over $220 in credit.  I
cautioned him that if he failed to refill by the due date that he'd
lose all the money in the account.  Well, he forgot to fill (even
though five days before your account expires you get a message every
time you place a call warning you of it) and he didn't.  He lost the
whole deal. 
           
------------------------------

From: Barry Margolin <barmar@alum.mit.edu>
Subject: Re: Virgin Mobile Unusual Charges
Organization: Symantec
Date: Sat, 22 Oct 2005 12:29:35 -0400


In article <telecom24.480.6@telecom-digest.org>, tom.horsley@att.net
(Thomas A. Horsley) wrote:

>> Anyone else notice anything unusual on their Virgin Web logs?  Before
>> I call them, I would like to know if I am the only one.

> No mysterious charges for my vmobl phone. The only thing I get is
> annoying emails and calls to my alternate line trying to convince me
> that I need to "top up" starting about 3 weeks before the actual
> deadline. I never use the full $20 in each 3 month period anyway, why
> on earth would I want to top up more than a few hours before the
> deadline? (Could it be so that virgin mobile gets more money in the
> bank sooner? :-). 

It's even worse, they get more *total* money, since the next 3-month
period starts when you top up, not when the previous 3-month period
runs out.  So if you top up when they first warn you, you'll end up
spending $100/year instead of only $80.

I just topped up this morning, and discovered that I can save
$5/quarter by signing up for the auto-top-up.  If you do this, the
requirement is dropped to $15, and they'll automatically top up every
90 days or when the balance drops below $5, whichever is first.  Since
my balance is now over $70, I don't think the low balance condition
will ever hit me, even though they've raised the per-minute rates (it
used to be 25 cents/min for the first 4 minutes in a day, 10 cents/min
thereafter, but now the 25 cent rate last for the first 10 minutes, so
I'll never see the 4 cent rate).

Barry Margolin, barmar@alum.mit.edu
Arlington, MA
*** PLEASE post questions in newsgroups, not directly to me ***

------------------------------


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Visit http://www.mstm.okstate.edu and take the next step in your
career with a Master of Science in Telecommunications Management
(MSTM) degree from Oklahoma State University (OSU). This 35
credit-hour interdisciplinary program is designed to give you the
skills necessary to manage telecommunications networks, including
data, video, and voice networks.

The MSTM degree draws on the expertise of the OSU's College
of Business Administration; the College of Arts and Sciences; and the
College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology. The program has
state-of-the-art lab facilities on the Stillwater and Tulsa campus
offering hands-on learning to enhance the program curriculum.  Classes
are available in Stillwater, Tulsa, or through distance learning.

Please contact Jay Boyington for additional information at
405-744-9000, mstm-osu@okstate.edu, or visit the MSTM web site at
http://www.mstm.okstate.edu

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End of TELECOM Digest V24 #481
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