OK, so what do we do to try to prevent the local phone  companies
from strangling the "hobby" BBS? Well, I'm not an expert about the FCC
and phone company regulation, but I have an idea.  If there is  anyone
out  there  that knows more about this kind of thing, then please jump
in and help.  Of if anyone has a better or alternative  idea,  let  us
know  what it is.  Are there any lawyers out there that know about FCC
matters, please help if you can.  Also, my local BBS does not carry  a
legal conference, so if any of you reading this message have access to
an echoed legal conference, please pass these messages on and ask  any
legal minded people who want to help; to join us in the ILINK TELECOMM
conference.

     Well, here's my idea.  I think what we need to do is petition the
FCC  for  a  rule-making  which  would,  in  effect,  bar  local phone
companies from arbitrarily reclassifying a residential phone line to a
business  phone  line  simply  because  it  is  attached to a computer
running a BBS.  We have to be reasonable about this, and remember that
we  are trying to save the BBS hobbyist, and not the BBS with 15-lines
who charges a monthly or yearly subscription fee.

     What I am suggesting is that we petition the FCC to declare  that
a  BBS  with  no  more  than  TWO  lines attached to modems, AND which
charges  not  more  than  $5.00/month  1990  dollars,   may   not   be
involuntarily classified as a business user.

     What  I  am  proposing is that, if this suggestion makes sense to
you folks out there in BBS land, that we draft the guts of a letter to
the  FCC and get as many people as possible to to write the FCC asking
for this rule.  Are there any legal types out there that can help come
up  with  a  draft letter describing, in FCC legaleze, what we want to
do.  If so, please contact me via the ILINK  TELECOMM  conference,  or
via  Airwaves  BBs  (205)757-1348, or via mail: Victor Dura, P.O.  Box
509, Rogersville, AL 35652

     We beat them once, and we can do it again if we  stick  together.
Please  help by staying tuned, and spreading these messages throughout
BBS land.  The text if these  messages  is  contained  in  PCO-RIP.ZIP
which  may  be downloaded from the following (feel free to add to this
list) BBS:
   AirWaves   (205)757-1348
   ExecPC      (414)789-4210 from Mahoney Collection
.