While leafing through some old notes, I came across the following prices that BT quoted me sometime back in 1988 or so...

I was, at the time, running a multiline BBS in Stockport, but was planning a move to London, so was trying to see how much moving the phone lines and keeping the number would cost, or alternative access methods. In the end, I just shut it down, as it would have cost me too much.


Quote:

Out of area line: 061 474 in 01 316 - installation £1115, Q.rental £980. Remote call forwarding (i.e. call diversion) Installation £100, Q.rental £50. (plus call costs) Call Transfer (message saying number has changed) Installation £22, Q.rental £37. Linkline 0800 costs. 16p/min peak, 12p/min standard, 9p/min cheap rate. Installation £250, Q.rental £100. 0898 - 17.5p/min(?) BT Managed: q.rental £1000/line Unmanaged (in certain areas only) Q.rental £22.50/line  (this may be £2250, my writing is poor!) local numbers 0055 0066 and 0077 not available as supply currently "suspended".

I'd almost forgotten about 0055 !  Anybody remember the chatlines on, e.g. 00550055 ? There was a big fuss because people were speding hours on them and running up huge call costs.  Huge being over £100 ....  somewhat easier to do that these days with £1.50/min premium rate lines!

I'm pretty sure this was before 0345 and 0990 (now 0845 and 0870) were available, otherwise I'd have had the prices for those.  The 0055/66/77 numbers were sort of the same thing, but they got some bad press.  

[this was aso before 00 was international, then it was 01 for London, 010 for international...]