Thought for the day - Phone company charges

It occurred to me recently that there is a big discrepancy in how the phone company charges.

If I use my phone line to call somebody during the day - Monday to Friday - I get charged by the minute (and usually quite a large amount per minute). But at the same time (and on the same phone line) I am piping internet traffic back and forth pretty much 24/7. The cost? A fixed amount per month regardless of traffic volume.

If the phone company can afford to charge me a fixed amount per month for my internet usage, why can't they charge me a fixed amount per month for my phone calls? The line is the same, the equipment is the same, the exchange is the same. What's different?

Posted via email from The Posterous Cafe