This is a multi-part message in MIME format. --------------826B15A977709A29F60EDD45 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Guys... Sorry, I took info sent to me at face value and I just heard from my Congressman that said it was passed down last year and the rumors going around today are false!! NO NEED TO WORRY!! Sorry.... Jerri Lynne --------------826B15A977709A29F60EDD45 Content-Type: message/rfc822 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: inline Return-path: <David.Talbot@mail.house.gov> Received: from Draco.house.gov ("port 58479"@[143.231.86.9]) by InfoAve.Net (PMDF V5.1-12 #23426) with ESMTP id <01JB5BML3EPIA9YSQE@InfoAve.Net> for stowes@InfoAve.Net; Thu, 13 May 1999 11:45:47 EDT Received: from hrmims02.house.gov (hrmims02.house.gov [143.231.32.158]) by Draco.house.gov (8.9.1b+Sun/8.9.1) with ESMTP id LAA23095 for <stowes@FMTC.Net>; Thu, 13 May 1999 11:44:53 -0400 (EDT) Received: by hrmims02.house.gov with Internet Mail Service (5.5.2539.1) id <K5SY292Y>; Thu, 13 May 1999 11:44:29 -0400 Content-return: allowed Date: Thu, 13 May 1999 11:44:29 -0400 From: Rep John Spratt <Rep.Spratt@mail.house.gov> Subject: RE: Long Distance chrgs on Internet Sender: Talbot David <David.Talbot@mail.house.gov> To: 'Smiths' <stowes@FMTC.Net> Message-id: <4F7919E5AAA6D2119BC70008C75DC846A0835E@hrm11.house.gov> X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.5.2539.1) X-Mozilla-Status2: 00000000 Thank you for letting me know your concerns about access fees for use of the Internet. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ruled last year that telephone companies cannot charge a per-minute access fee for Internet usage, so reports that such a fee has been approved are simply incorrect. Internet service providers(ISP), such as America On-line and CompuServe, do not charge their subscribers per-minute access fees because they are not charged by local phone companies for using local lines. In contrast, long distance carriers are charged an access fee by local phone companies for the use of local phone lines. In June 1996, four regional telephone companies (Pacific Bell, Bell Atlantic, US West, and NYNEX) asked the FCC for the authority to charge ISPs for use of their local lines. The companies argued that the existing rate structure did not accurately reflect the costs imposed on local networks by Internet users. They recognized that if Internet service providers were required to pay access fees to local phone companies, consumers would be charged for Internet usage. After calling for public comments on Internet access fees, the FCC ruled in favor of consumers. In its ruling the FCC expressed concerns about the effects access charges would have on Internet providers and noted that the net would not have grown so rapidly had users been charged per minute fees. The FCC concluded that ISPs would not be charged access fees to use local phone lines. In another matter, the FCC mediated a dispute between phone companies concerning company-to-company payments. These payments, known as reciprocal compensation, are made from one phone company to another for providing service. For example, if I use Phone Company A to call someone who uses Phone Company B, then A should pay B for completing the call. The question before the FCC is whether calls to ISPs will be subject to reciprocal compensation. In other words, if I use Company A to call America On-line, which uses Company B, is Company A still required to pay Company B for completing the call? The FCC ruled that reciprocal compensation can be recovered for completing calls to an ISP. Since in the above example, company A has no relationship to the ISP at all, the reciprocal compensation will not result in an increased charge to the ISP. So there is not a charge for the ISP to pass onto you the consumer. The FCC consideration of this issue is probably the source of the misunderstanding about per-minute fees for Internet access. Thanks for taking time to write. I hope this answers your question. Please feel free to contact me on any issue of concern to you. Respectfully, John M. Spratt, Jr. Member of Congress > ---------- > From: Smiths[SMTP:stowes@FMTC.Net] > Sent: Thursday, May 13, 1999 11:15 AM > To: Rep. John Spratt > Subject: RE: Long Distance chrgs on Internet > > Dear Sir, > It has been brought to my attention that Congress is planning to > vote to allow the > long- distance companies to be allowed to charge rates over the > internet... > I am a Webmaster for the county of Charleston with the SCGenWeb. As you > are aware Charleston County played a very important role in our early > history. Alot of our Ancestors came into Charleston before moving on. > If the companies are allowed to charge then the Genealogy sites will > become invalid. I personally would not be able afford to answer all the > email I recieve for the site!!! > The internet has opened a whole new world for Genealogy and has made it > one of the top 5 sites on the Web....It would be a shame to shut it > down. > Sincerely, > Jerri Lynne Smith > 9110 Pitcairn Drive > Tega Cay, SC 29715 > stowes@fmtc.net > --------------826B15A977709A29F60EDD45--