THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, August 19, 1994 TAG: 9408190563
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: D1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LON WAGNER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Short : 39 lines
First, there was Caller ID; a person could see the phone number of a caller before deciding whether to answer.
Then came Caller ID blocking; a person could elect not to have his or herphone number pop onto the screen of the Caller ID machine.
Now, along comes Caller ID Deluxe. Bell Atlantic Corp. said Thursday that Virginians will be the first customers in the mid-Atlantic to be able to subscribe to its expanded version of Caller ID, which will display both a caller's phone number and name.
Bell Atlantic will offer the service to most of its Virginia customers beginning Monday. Caller ID Deluxe will cost $7.50 per month, $1 more than basic Caller ID.
One catch: Some Caller ID customers who want to upgrade to the deluxe version will have to also upgrade their display units to accommodate alphabetical messages. New units sell for $50 to $80.
And not everyone in Hampton Roads will be able to subscribe to Caller ID Deluxe right away. Bell Atlantic spokesman Paul Miller said switching centers for about one-third of Hampton Roads are scheduled to be upgraded this fall, and the new version of Caller ID will be available throughout the area by the end of the year.
GTE Corp., which serves parts of Chesapeake, Virginia Beach, Suffolk and Isle of Wight County, offers Caller ID, and said it is considering offering an enhanced version in early 1996.
As with basic Caller ID, customers will be able to block out anonymous callers with Anonymous Call Rejection, which comes free with Caller ID service. by CNB