CFOG's PIP, December 1986, Volume 5 No. 2, Whole No. 50, page 3

PC Pursuit Adds New Cities; Local Calls on PC Pursuit

[The following messages were retrieved from CBBS #1, Ward and Randy's Computerized Bulletin Board System #1. They were posted by Alex Zell on November 23 and 26. The second message was a response to a question by Roy Lipscomb about making local calls using PC Pursuit. -- bhc]

The following 11 cities will be added to the PC Pursuit service areas by 31 Dec 86, according to Telenet Communications Corp.:

503	Portland
408	San Jose
602	Phoenix
414	Milwaukee
813	Tampa
818	Glendale
216	Cleveland
919	Research Triangle Park
305	Miami
612	Minneapolis
601	Salt Lake City

This brings to 25 the total number of cities to be accessed thru PC Pursuit. According to the Telenet announcement, this provides long distance access to 42% of the entire installed PC market in the United States. The service already reaches any local exchange in metropolitan areas within the following area codes:

404	Atlanta
617	Boston
312	Chicago
214	Dallas
303	Denver
313	Detroit
713	Houston
213	Los Angeles
201	Newark
212	New York
215	Philadelphia
415	San Francisco
206	Seattle
202	Washington

Roy, your idea has not escaped notice of PC Pursuitniks and other BBS addicts who are showing signs of panic at the imminent loss of Call-Pak Unlimited from Illinois Bell. The latest information just received from a rather inarticulate customer service person is that it is NOT possible to make local calls thru PC Pursuit. This is a serious matter, and prodromal signs of withdrawal terror are becoming especially severe among those who make as many as 12,000 calls a month.

The preceding was written, but not sent, last night. This message is being sent to this board via PC Pursuit, from a phone in the Lakeview exchange on Chicago's North Side thru an exchange on the Northwest side less than five miles away.

In the spirit of scientific inquiry, I decided to test the capability making local calls via PC Pursuit. Two attempts in the evening resulted in busy signals at the 312 Chicago switch. Having no trouble now in the wee hours of the morning.

Therefore, my reply to your question, Roy, is that they said it cannot be done, I found that it can be done, and I'll wager that they will do something about it, and will probably lockout local calls eventually. Can you imagine several hundred users grabbing the 312 lines and staying on for all-night sessions on local chat boards? Gridlock!