Also 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 serv

Also 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.