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Long distance was pretty expensive. I don't remember specific rates from back then, though Metafilter has some specifics-- $0.434/min for daytime rates in 1980
by eric_the_read 10y ago
Long distance was pretty expensive. I don't remember specific rates from back then, though Metafilter has some specifics-- $0.434/min for daytime rates in 1980 (Source: http://ask.metafilter.com/211826/Long-Distance-Rates-For-the-Late-Seventies-and-Early-Eighties http://ask.metafilter.com/211826/Long-Distance-Rates-For-the...). I do know that we basically couldn't call our cousins or grandparents a state away except on weekends, because we were assured by our parents that it would bankrupt the family to do otherwise.
- pimlottc 10y agoAs you imply, it wasn't just the cost themselves; the pricing plans were often quite complicated as well. Day or night rate? Weekend or weekday? Which network are you calling? Are they in your friends and family plan? You never knew what your bill was going to be until it came in the mail each month. And as a kid, there was definite anxiety about how bad it would be and whether your parents would notice your calls...
- ohyeshedid 10y agoAlso the monthly fee, often from a separate carrier, just for being able to use long distance dialing. Back then you'd pay for local service, long distance service, long distance rates, and potentially ISP access; all this compounded by nebulous scale rates depending on when you used long distance. It was also further complicated by the lack of local numbers for dial-in internet access, or local exchanges for BBS's. I remember having a schedule for when I could connect for cost efficacy. It's also one of the reasons I got into local war dialing. It wasn't only out of curiosity, but a potential way to gain access to a network for cheaper. Imagine paying 40 cents per minute to dial-in to a location you could drive to in 20 minutes. God I'm old.