Dear Lactnetters:

    We looked at the FCC site located at
http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Common_Carrier/Factsheets/ispfact.html

which gives a detailed breakdown of the issues and the FCC's position.
However, we discovered that this issue took place last year with the
deadline being February 14, 1997. That being the case, you may have
received outdated information. You might want to double check the source
and determine if this is a new call for public comment or simply last
year's call.
Apparently it went in our favor last year
with the local ISP's not being charged a per minute fee. I think that
there is nothing to worry about.

The following is a letter a friend received from the FCC regarding this
issue:

This is an automated response to the message you sent to [log in to unmask]
We established this mailbox for informal comments about usage of the
public switched telephone network by Internet access and information
service providers for a proceeding on this matter in 1997.

If you are responding to a message stating that local phone companies
have asked the FCC for permission to impose per-minute charges for
Internet access, please be aware that this information is out of date.
The FCC decided in May 1997 NOT to allow imposition of interstate access
charges on Internet service providers. There is no comment period
currently open in this proceeding.

More information on Access Charges and the ISP proceeding is available
at
<http://www.fcc.gov/isp.html>

Look for more features and announcements on our Web site,
<http://www.fcc.gov/>, in the future!

updated 1/6/98

So, I guess this another one of those hoax letters.

David and Anne Andis