*Pricing* I can't help myself.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Finally, Eisenhart says, if you're ever worried about the
cost of any call, check it out in advance. "There's a rate,
and it's been set beforehand. Just call up the carrier and
ask for a rate quote." So the next time an Iridium-using
buddy asks, "Hey, can you call me back?" tell him he'll
have to wait a sec.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
One of these centuries, phone companies are going to figure out that people don't think of their role in life being to make phone companies rich. They want to know how much money things cost them if it is more than an insignificant amount.
Phone calls are not yet down to insignificant amounts.
So, yes, here it is again, for the umpteenth time, which I'll continue as long as people who are paid a lot of money go on saying absurd things like the above.
If the phone company saved the person the trouble of phoning around for quotes before making a call, they would be a lot more likely to hit the SEND button.
The phone company can do this by getting their stupid computers to tell the handset how much the call will cost BEFORE the person connects the call.
Everyone knows that rates are absurdly complex and they can be really expensive. But have 'rate cards' in phone books or hanging from the ceiling is hopelessly inefficient.
There are electronic devices these days and passable programmes can be written using people who have studied such things for 40 years which would check the links and get the prices and feed the total back to the handset in less than 23.14 minutes. The person thinking of making the call could then press SEND if they check the display which will be reading "CURRENT PRICE IS $3.14" and they are happy with the price.
This would also solve the capacity problems which AT&T has and Leap Wireless International will get with their Cricket Plan fixed flat rate per month for local calls. They could have their regular price plans and overlay those for subscribers who want a cheaper deal overall with a "Spot Pricing Plan". The peak prices would be high and off-peak probably free with the long distance links charged at whatever are the current prices.
Then there would never be a busy signal. Busy signals are bad! The system would always be busy but not overloaded. Revenues would be maximized and customers would be happiest.
Cricket is fine for now, but they'll have to figure out what to do when capacity is reached at peak times. More sectors, basestations etc is the expensive and uncompetitive way to do it.
Maurice |
