We have real costs due to regulatory changes,'' he said, ''that we need to recover for all our customers.'' In any case, he said, fees are standard fare in the communications industry. Mr. Donoghue says that the rate does allow, in itself, for a return. But talking isn't all that a customer signs up for with a discount plan, he points out. With it comes directory assistance, credit-card calling and other services that run up the bill. Long distance typically accounts for only half the bill, he said.
Customers can expect further cuts in the future.
Already, some companies such as Qwest Communications International Inc. are experimenting with selling long-distance and Internet access in a single package. The rate could work out so low that people don't think at all of the charge when they talk. Many people think they are already there.