By "get screwed" I meant the total charges for a call - ie adding together what the callers and recipients pay. The callers can't avoid the charges, and aren't

By "get screwed" I meant the total charges for a call - ie adding together what the callers and recipients pay. The callers can't avoid the charges, and aren't a customer of the recipient's carrier. This means there is little competitive pressure to lower the termination rates, and ultimately regulators have stepped in. It is far preferable that rates automatically dropped as a result of competition.