The numbers are advertised on fliers in low-income areas promising jobs. When called, the recorded messages mention no specific jobs, just the telephone numbers for job information lines at three hotels, two hospitals, and the health and hospitals division of the hospital workers' union. Bell Atlantic, which offers the 540 numbers in the New York City region, says it imposes strict regulations, along with the New York State Public Service Commission. But many of the 540 lines skirt these restrictions. And Bell Atlantic, which gets 26 cents for the first minute of every call and seven cents per minute thereafter, says it cannot check whether the jobs promised exist.
Vendors come to the phone company with a proposal and they can charge virtually any price.
By the end of July, Bell Atlantic will almost surely announce that it has signed up a million long-distance customers in New York just since the beginning of this year. Bell Atlantic and the other Baby Bells have accepted that the Department of Justice and the FCC will be no pushovers for approving in-region long distance service. The company had recently withdrew increases it had quietly put into effect at the same time it joined the Federal Communications Commission in touting the reduction of access fees. The new rate increase is intended to give consumers more options. Access to Government Information President Clinton announced on Saturday that government is developing a Web site that will make all online federal resources available at the click of a mouse.