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>calling virtually anywhere cost a certain fixed rate per minute.

This is how it worked in the UK. Calling anywhere cost per min and I racked up HUGE phone bills in the early days.

I can still remember my dad's reaction when the first proper high phone bill came in... Oh boy...

Yes, it was brutal in the UK in the mid-90s. That first £1000 phone bill almost had my parents divorce me.

Same. I remember the day the letter came from BT suggesting that my parents switch to the "Heavy User" tariff. I'd been using the nearest CompuServe POP in a different city.

Haha we had the same thing! Mum was always complaining about the phone being in use and I used to have to put the duvet over the pc to hide the modem calling, the AT commands to turn off the speaker never worked. Eventually that company released the pay once never again CD that put an add at the top of the screen. That was happy days for awhile until they they went bust.

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