Why Multimedia? Tune in a Future Bill for Services--Via Mail or Screen
As far as the telecommunications industry is concerned, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Reed Hundt and U.S. District Judge Harold Greene are the Bobbsey Twins from Regulatory Hell. Between the postponement of the $12-billion AT&T-McCaw; Cellular deal, the collapse of the $4.9-billion Southwestern Bell-Cox Communications venture and the failure of the $32-billion Bell Atlantic-TCI acquisition, more than $50 billion worth of multimedia mergers have gone on the regulatory rocks this year alone.
But what’s the real bottom line here? Does this mean the end of convergence for cable TV and the Baby Bells? A fundamental reassessment of Vice President Al Gore’s cherished “information superhighway”? An invitation to bold new telecommunications legislation? Or, are people simply trying to figure out how they’re going to make money before they invest billions to buy a cable company or an on-line service?
Perhaps the most valuable way to explore the New Economics of Interactive Media isn’t to speculate wildly about digital technology or evaluate all the multimedia players, but to look at the price tag. When all these companies and technologies finally hit the marketplace, what kind of bills will consumers be getting in the mail (or on their TV screens)? It’s the Willie Sutton Principle of Futurism: Go where the the money is.
This might well be a typical letter from the local telecom company, in six or seven years:
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Dear Subscriber:
Enclosed is Unified Multimedia’s first COnsolidated Monthly Multimedia UNified and Integrated Telecommunications Invoice statement. We are delighted that you are now a part of the Unified COMMUNITI and look forward to a mutually beneficial relationship.
Our mission is to provide you with the best value in multimedia services for digital video, audio, interactive and cellular. That is why, pursuant to FCC Regulation 2578-4 and relevant local telecommunications disclosure statutes, we provide you this summary of your itemized Multimedia Telecommunications Statement.
Should you have any questions, please call 1-800 QUESTION, tap the ? key of your set-top box or the ? key of your remote control. Automated assistance is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, while live customer service representatives are available by appointment only, pursuant to FCC Regulation 2588-23.
Connections Basic Connection Charge: $20 Dark Fiber Surcharge: $3 Multimedia Server Access: $5 Digital Compression Enhancement Charge: $2 HomeNet Access Fee (Multiplex to 3 devices): $6 Home Security Intercom: $6 Internet Backbone Fee: $3 Call Waiting & Call Forwarding: $6 (quikrouting to cellular & pager surcharge): $6 Global Positioning System Interconnect Charge (for both individual and auto): $5 Call Forwarding (Cellular to Base): $5 Pager Link: $3 PDALink: $4 Caller ID: $2 Caller ID (Blocker): $3 Voice Mailbox: $2 (Scrambling Surcharge): $1 E-Mailbox: $3 (Encryption Surcharge): $1 Touch Tone (TM): $0.99
Set-Top
Basic Set-top Fee: $10 High-Def. Upgrade: $3 Interactive Upgrade: $3 Compression Upgrade: $2 Home Security Upgrade: $2 Printer Link Access: $1 Remote Control & Second Remote: $3 Remote Keyboard Access: $1 Microsoft “Windows-for-Set-Tops” license: $2 Remote Diagnostics & Repair: $1
Content
Basic Cable Service Package: $14 Premium Services: * HBO/Cinemax: $12 * The Sega Channel: $8 (Doom Surcharge): $5 * America OnLine: $10 (associated charges: see page 11 of bill): $18 * Internet (commercial) (associated charges: see pages 12-13): $21 * “Wheel of Fortune” (interactive): $1 * “Jeopardy” (interactive): $2 * NFL Football (FOX interactive): $10 * CNN (interactive): $5 * The Wall Street Journal: $12 * The Economist: $6 * Ebony: $7 Directory Assistance: $12 Pay-per-View Special: * “The President’s Analyst”: $2.99
Transactions
CREDIT Zircon Rings: $29.95 Bill Payer Access Fee: $8 QVC * Shirts (3): $49 * Boxers (2): $11 * Shovel (1): $8.99 CitiBank On-line: $3 Fidelity On-line: $4 Charles Schwab On-line: $3 Domino’s Pizza (2): $21 Nintendo: Mario’s Baby: $19.95 Sega: Sonic Goes Crazy: $19.95 American Express bill: $1,245 Visa bill: $325
Agents
Software Agents to filter out: * Beer advertising: $2.50 * Video game ads: $5.00 * Feminine hygiene ads: $1.00 * R-Rated Sex Scenes (before 10 p.m.): $4 * Violence (Level 6 before 8 p.m., Level 8 after 10 p.m.): $8 * Music by The Bee Gees: $1 Software Agents to select: * Quality children’s shows: $5 * Movies with Audrey Hepburn: $3 * Preston Sturges films: $5 * Travel info on Morocco: $3
Taxes
Federal Excise Tax: 4% State Tax: 3% Municipal Tax: 2% Infobahn Tax: 2% Gore Multimedia Universal Access Tax for Education: 2% Terabit Tax: 1%
NOTE: You used over 1.45 terabits of digital data this month. That compares to 1.51 terabits last month and 1.12 terabits the same month last year.
For an itemized list of your individual on-line calls and interactive sessions, please see the following pages. Your total individual usage charges are $141.
Total Bit Bill (Telecom-related charges): $752.59
TOTAL BILL: $2,467.48
PLEASE NOTE: We have already deducted this amount from your bank account. Should you have any questions, please contact us during business hours on Monday, Wednesday or Friday. We regret that we had to send this bill by mail, but a network software error precludes us from downloading individual bills to individual subscribers at this time.
