To::All CLEAR Net Customers"
All CLEAR Net Customers
Sent: Friday, September 17, 1999 6:58 AM
Subject: Telecom's monopoly Internet control rejected by
CLEAR
Dear CLEAR Net customer:
As you are no doubt aware,
Telecom has unilaterally imposed a new 0867 access number for all non-Xtra
and non-IPNet ISP customers and threatened to charge customers who continue
to use their existing access number.
CLEAR has rejected this move because
it would force virtually all Internet customers on to Telecom's network,
where it can degrade quality and service levels. We think the Internet
is too important to our customers and to the New Zealand economy as a whole
to hand over its control to the monopoly control of one company.
We
have therefore decided not to require our customers to switch to the
0867 number. We will also compensate you in full if Telecom goes ahead
with its threatened two cents per minute (after 10 hours a month) charge for
local Internet calls. This compensation will be in the form of a rebate
on your CLEAR Net account. You do not need to do anything to claim it,
nor do you need to change your computer settings. Keep surfing in
exactly the same way as you always have with CLEAR Net, and we will take care
of the details.
If you'd like to better understand the 0867 issue and its
implications for New Zealand Internet users, please check out our media
statement at: http://www.clear.net.nz/new/