Telecom profit

Press, 26 July 1989, Page 16

Telecom profit

Sir, —Telecom’s profit has leaped to S24OM and the Government is a big beneficiary. With the introduction of charging local calls to business customers, we wonder at the cost of the installation of the necessary technology required; also the plan to introduce yet another billing system and the cost incorporated with that. Even with the reduction in toll and data charges, will anyone be better off except the Government? Although we have been told that residential charges will not be introduced, we feel that, yet again, it will be the elderly who will be penalised indirectly by the introduction of business local call charges. What of the many people who are resident in rest homes and longstay hospitals — the telephone is one of their only independent means of contact with their friends, families and the outside world, yet very few would be able to sustain the cost of a private telephone installation when they are in care. We constantly need to remind ourself that our telephone communication lines are no longer a public service as they were, but rather this Government’s profitmaking business. — Yours, etc., W. L. PEARCE, M. P. WOOD. July 21, 1989.

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