Posted on 03/10/2006 7:00:49 AM PST by mathprof
Tom Evslin's Fractals of Change has posted an explosive piece about the way AT&T is handling their exclusive contract to install payphones in Iraq and how much they're charging American soldiers to call home. Would you believe twenty one cents per minute??
As Tom points out with the going wholesale cost of voice minutes under a penny per minute, this seems very, very wrong. Tom also notes that the total amount of money we're talking about here is a drop in the bucket for a company like AT&T. It's mind-boggling to me that the execs at AT&T don't realize that the poison PR they could suffer over this is not even close to being worth the cash they're making. If the issue gets more mainstream coverage I wouldn't even be surprised if it comes into play as regulators consider the BellSouth acquisition.
AT&T is also reportedly blocking access to 800 numbers of other carriers, which would be illegal in the U.S. Tom does mention that some other sources say AT&T isn't blocking those numbers, but adding high surcharges to those calls. In either case, it's shameful.
The Prepaid Press first reported the story back in January and has stayed on top of it, as the FCC and DoD dodged the issue, and now the American Legion is getting involved.
The rate is about 10 minutes of call time to about 1 minute of talk time.
21 cents per minute for an international phone call? Isn't that standard?
21 cents a minute from Iraq to the US?
Cry me a river. I remember ten years ago when it cost over $3 a minute to call India from the US. 21 cents a minute is still pretty cheap.
Because AT&T is pro-gay and Halliburton is not.
What do you think?
What about the cards intended for domestic soldiers, sailors and airmen? They advertise a low rate (say 5 cents a minute) so parents and loved ones or soldiers themselves buy the cards, but then raise it to 20-30 times that rate if they use a payphone to make a call. How will a soldier in the barracks make a call? Hmmmm... USING A PAYPHONE!! Another rip-off!!
They can use the satalite phone for about 15 minutes a week.
A 2000 minute phone card is good for about 200 minutes.
When I was stationed in Antarctica the going rate was $3 a min.
This is lower than many, many international rates. I repeat lower. When you add in the security cost and the fact that the local installer might get kidnapped or shot, this seems like a great deal.
The calls are to be routed to domestic U.S. circuits so that U.S. rates apply. T has some splain to do Lucy.
I recently just got laid off from AT&T. I worked in the pre-paid calling-card division.
I will say that YES, the military is a profitable account for AT&T, but NO they are not gouging the military. AT&T operates many call-centers in the ME and it is very dangerous to support & maintain them. AT&T also donates hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of cards and free-minutes to troops throughout the world.
Just as Wal-Mart's competition tries to sink Wal-mart, AT&T's jealous competition tries to make AT&T look bad because THEY want to take over the military account and make a handsome profit instead of AT&T!!!!
Good grief, who's foot did you back over?
Wasn't corporate profiteering a crime during WW II?
Why ain't someone in jail over this?
AT&T has the lock on pay phone services here. No other phone card will work. Segovia also provides phone service at a much different rate.
There just isn't enough bandwidth for VoIP.
But I have access to Internet, and therefore, FR. And family and friends are FReepers.
Well AT&T had to spend big bucks installing the phones (I assume). It costs a lot to send contractors to Iraq right now. So they have to recoup their costs and then make a profit.
21 cents sounds fairly tame. If people are upset about it, why not buy some AT&T phone cards and send them to servicemembers.
It's not a bad deal considering the call is half way around the world, and we got better connection than with the satalite phone. We didn't mind 'charging' up the phone card. It was about $100. Similar to the post office, packages are pretty inexpensive, if you consider what has to be done to get them there (good guestimate, about a dollar a pound, plus a couple extra bucks)
Hey Sarge, good to 'see you', stay safe!
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