[Myrddin]

The BOCs started with rotary pulse to drive the step by step switches. When DTMF (TouchTone) was initially introduced, the BOCs offered it as a "premium" service. Now DTMF is the standard interface to the switch. The company actually has to speed extra money to purchase special rotary pulse receivers on the electronic switches. That is the reason for extra charges. Changing to a touchtone phone eliminates the need to purchase and maintain the rotary pulse receivers on the switch.

Your grandmother would save a bunch by owning her own instrument and using touchtone. The new policy of stopping responsibility at the "network interface" is also an issue for many people. The wiring inside the house beyond the network interface is entirely the responsbility of the customer now. Under the original Bell System, the phone company maintained responsibility for that wiring too.

[Schwaeky]

That was in 2001, I don't know if my aunt and uncle or mom was able to rip that POS out of the wall and put a touch tone phone, let alone her own phone period, in place. I had to go to pay phone while there to use phone card to call my then g/f.