NETWORK WORLD NEWSLETTER: STEVE TAYLOR AND LARRY HETTICK ON CONVERGENCE 11/01/04 Today's focus: Voice service fees compared
Dear [EMAIL PROTECTED], In this issue: * Fees: Cox's voice-over-cable service vs. MCI's voice service * Links related to Convergence * Featured reader resource _______________________________________________________________ This newsletter is sponsored by Lucent Technologies Align Your IT Resources and Deliver Results Fast IDC reports that Lucent VitalSuite(r) Performance Management Software helps many businesses centrally monitor, manage and deliver advanced services rapidly while generating outstanding financial benefits-an average ROI as high as 719% and 133 day payback. Use the IDC ROI Calculator tool to learn how VitalSuite(r) software can benefit your operations and bottom line too. http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=86136 _______________________________________________________________ BUSH VS. KERRY: TIME TO VOTE Do you know where each candidate stands on technology issues? We decided to get the candidates' position on key tech issues, but it wasn't easy. Find out where Bush and Kerry stand on such issues such as outsourcing, national broadband policy, wireless spectrum and more. Click here: http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=86065 _______________________________________________________________ Today's focus: Voice service fees compared By Steve Taylor and Larry Hettick Last week, Larry's boss was complaining about the extra $2 fee he was charged by airlines to get a hard copy of his receipt. This prompted the inevitable office chatter about frivolous and costly fees across many industries - not the least of which are the fees charged by telephony service providers. So Larry pulled out a recent MCI Neighborhood bill (for September in California) and his Cox Communications telephone bill (for October in Virginia). Both services offered a flat rate for unlimited local and domestic calls, voice mail, and custom calling features like Caller ID and three-way calling. For the packaged MCI service, the service bundle was $49.99. For Cox, the same features cost $14.99. We attribute $30 of the price difference to the UNE-P charges MCI has to pay SBC for the local loop; Cox also has the advantage of sharing Larry's service costs with his Internet and cable TV service, so the remaining $5 price difference can be attributed the bundled cost structure. As for the additional fees, that's where the fun begins when it comes time to understand and pay the bill. The MCI taxes and surcharges list included fees for 911; a Teleconnect Fund; two High Cost Funds; a Lifeline surcharge; federal excise tax; federal, state, and local surcharges; network access surcharges; a relay service and communications device fund; a federal universal service fee; and a local number portability fee. Total taxes and surcharges from MCI totaled $15.04. The Cox Communications fees included charges for federal excise tax, a local utility user tax, E911 tax, a relay fund charge, a public right-of-way fee, an FCC access charge, and a federal universal service fee. The total Cox added charges were $10.15. Next time, we'll take a look at Vonage fees, and report on what the FCC chairman has to say about Internet telephony taxes and regulations. _______________________________________________________________ To contact: Steve Taylor and Larry Hettick Steve Taylor is President of Distributed Networking Associates and Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Webtorials.Com. For more detailed information on most of the topics discussed in this newsletter, connect to Webtorials.Com <http://www.webtorials.com/>, the first Web site dedicated exclusively to market studies and technology tutorials in the Broadband Packet areas of Frame Relay, ATM, and IP. He can be reached at <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Larry Hettick an industry veteran with over 20 years of experience in voice and data. He is currently Vice President for Wireline Solutions at Current Analysis, the leading competitive response solutions company. He can be reached at <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> _______________________________________________________________ This newsletter is sponsored by Nokia NW Special Report: Preparing an Infrastructure for Mobile Applications. Mobility, properly done, increases productivity and decreases operating costs. So get up to date information about building a mobile infrastructure, dealing with security issues, the latest networking options, connectivity alternatives and operational support enhancements. http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=85953 _______________________________________________________________ ARCHIVE LINKS Archives of the Convergence newsletter: http://www.nwfusion.com/newsletters/converg/index.html _______________________________________________________________ Security is no longer about simply keeping the bad guys out Discover how intelligence and insight can prevent attacks and unauthorized uses of corporate information. 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