Your letter, reference 97021185

Stewart Fist fist@ozemail.com.au
Wed, 26 Mar 1997 16:41:39 +1000


Jan, What did you mean by "Timed local calls is not on the table"?

Were you specific about "business-data" calls or were they fobbing you off
in some way.  David Kennedy is usually fairly straight.


>I followed Edwin's suggestion and called Canberra.  According to the
>person who answered the phone and confirmed with David Kennedy, nothing
>has changed.  Timed local calls is not on the table.  Does anyone have
>information to the contrary and can point to the amendment that would
>lead to a different interpretation?

The point is that the amendment (which called for an untimed option for
both business and residential, voice and data) was not passed, so the bill
passed as it stood, which provided for mandatory "timed business data
calls".

I doubt very much whether they will now move ahead on the Timed
Receive-Only calls option.  This would be political suicide for the
government, and so they wouldn't allow Telstra to try this on.




Stewart Fist
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