Conference turris::scandia

503.0. "The equivalent of '900' service in Norden" by TLE::SAVAGE () Tue Apr 07 1992 11:09

    From: [email protected] (Bertil Jonell)
    Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
    Subject: You have to be rich to get the Authorities to listen.
    Date: 6 Apr 92 12:36:06 GMT
    Sender: [email protected]
    Organization: Chalmers University of Technology
 
 
    More fun things from the Taxation Assessment Authorities and other 
    Authorities:
 
    [And no, this isn't a April-fools-day joke, even though I wish it were]
 
    The Swedish Telecommunication Authorities (Televerket) are organized as
    an Aff�rsdivande Verk (Commercial Department) which means that they
    have the monopoly position of a department and the avarice of a
    commercial enterprise:)
 
    About half a year ago they started something called the 071-numbers
    which are commercial services available from third parties on certain
    numbers with a 071 prefix. The type of services seems to be mostly
    games and heavy  breathing judging from the ads in the papers and
    calling the numbers will cost you several SKr per minute. The profit is
    split between Televerket and the third party.
 
    I'm pretty sure that there is something similar in the US.
  
    These numbers have been a commercial success for Televerket, so they
    are planning to expand it. What they are trying to do is to get
    hospitals, and various other authorities and departments to turn their
    public lines into 071-numbers. The advantages are that they will make a
    hefty profit from everybody that wants to ask questions about
    something, and that the number of callers that want answers will
    decrease.
 
    It seems as if the high and mighty civil servants has grown tired of 
    answering questions from the common rabble and wants to charge them for
    the privilige.
 
    -bertil-
    
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