[Bring_Back_Shantz]

Originally Posted by kermitology

Well the bulk of the "long distance" signal transfer would be digital in the PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) and the majority use of microwave towers would be for cell phone usage and we pay for that already.

Long distance charges should go away.

Microwave or no (just used as an example of the infrastructure telephone companies use), the fact is someone had to build and pay for the infrastructure needed to connect phone calls at great distances, and long distance fees are there means of recouping those costs.

Just becasue it is a digital network doesn't really change that fact.
Wires, fiber optic cables, microwave towers, sattelites, they all cost money so someon's gotta pay.