INTERNET FEES CHARGED [New York Times, C5.] Ever since April, when the Federal Communications Commission reported to Congress that telephone calls made from one phone to another using the Internet could become subject to network access fees, the industry has been waiting for a test case. BellSouth has now provided the test. The company has written to a half-dozen Internet service providers in its region saying that in November, BellSouth will start levying access fees for voice conversations the Internet companies transmit. The fees are the same sort that local phone companies like BellSouth charge to AT&T and MCI for connecting calls to the local network. Internet traffic has never been subject to such fees. But the Internet telephony companies are not ready to give in. In some ways, BellSouth's move may be largely symbolic, since most Internet voice traffic so far involves attempts to avoid the high charges for international long-distance calls, in which local access fees are a relatively minor part of the price. And yet, BellSouth is trying to close what many in the telephone industry have seen as a loophole in networking pricing regulations. Thanks! Bill Bill Stewart, bill.stewart@pobox.com PGP Fingerprint D454 E202 CBC8 40BF 3C85 B884 0ABE 4639