RE: BT Internet 0800 access

[chris@xxxxxxx]

Here's my hypothesis, which the knowledgeable are free to throw rocks at.
I think ISDN is basically a packet-switched network (is that right?) so
when you are connected but not actually sending/receiving data you are
not actually using any bandwidth.  So BT doesn't really bother to drop
your connection after 2 hours.  OTOH a modem connection requires the same
amount of bandwidth whether you are sending/receiving data or not.  Since
bandwidth is a limited resource BT will want to drop modem connections
to allow other (hopefully paying) customers to get a look in.

Of course, this doesn't explain why you don't get billed if your ISDN
connection spans midnight.  Maybe you do get billed but haven't noticed
it yet?  Or maybe it would be more expensive to revise the billing software
to cope with charging an 0800 call than it is to simply let people get
away with it, bearing in mind that most people doing this are not likely
to be using much bandwidth at that time on night anyway.

Just my 0.02 GBP including VAT worth.

Chris.

---------- Original Message ----------
>From   : "Ian Wright" <ian.wright@xxxxxxx>
To     : <ukha_d@xxxxxxx>
Date   : Fri, 23 Jun 2000 14:48:07 +0100
Subject: RE: [ukha_d] BT Internet 0800 access
>If I dial 0800 I assume it will be free all of the time even after
midnight.
>I dial in via ISDN and have never been disconnected (onll sometime
after
>midnight but I have never been up to see the time). Over a weekend it
is up
>for the whole time.
>
>It looks like the modem connections are dropped where ISDN is forgotten
>about.
>
>Ian
--
Chris Davenport
chris@xxxxxxx

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