Hi, thought I would pass this along. As we know, there has been a lot of talk about the telephone companies trying to get Congress to agree with them about making Internet calls Long Distance. Well, they were stopped for a while in Washington:-) BUT!!! Heed this-- June 26, 1999, by (AP) San Francisco, State Utilities Regulators have rejected a proposal that could have led to higher telephone charges for some Internet users. The state Public Utilities Commission on Thursday voted 3-2 to reaffirm current rules that treat calls to Internet service providers as local calls. The dissenters had proposed reclassifying the calls as long-distance but softened their stance, under public pressure, to propose instead that the issue be reopened and investigated with PUBLIC COMMENTS!!! Internet callers would not have to pay long distance fees. This change is for Pacific Bell. So they do not have to pay out $50 million in connection fees to some carriers of Internet calls. Critics warned that the result would be higher Internet charges and reduced access. Pacific Bell countered that its customers (you & I) are being forced to pay unfair subsidies. (???) But who gets these subsidies okayed through the state PUC? The phone companies. And we never know about it until after the fact. No Wonder we are paying $20-25 for basic service-- All I am saying, is to watch out for you State PUC regulators and make them accountable to this sham from the phone companies.