Caller ID: U S WEST Adds Second Service to Combat Telemarketers as Demand Soars for New Ways to Block Unwanted Sales Calls - Company Business and Marketing

EDGE, On & About AT&T, April 5, 1999

With customer demand soaring, U S WEST Wednesday added another service to its growing arsenal of weapons to help phone users fight off obnoxious calls from pranksters, telemarketers, and nuisance callers.

The new service, Caller ID with Privacy , screens all types of calls that come across Caller ID units as "unavailable" or "anonymous," requiring the callers to identify themselves before having a chance to get through. Anyone wishing to subscribe to the service will need to check its availability in their area. Caller ID with Privacy is now available in 18 major markets within 11 of U S WEST's 14-states. The service is not yet available in New Mexico, Montana and Wyoming.

"People are tired of having their lives disrupted by unwanted phone calls," said Kevin Crull, VP and general manager, U S WEST Consumer Services Group. "While the telephone is indispensable, it can still lead to interruptions during dinner or a quiet evening at home. Products like Privacy finally give people control over their phone again."

Last month, U S WEST introduced its first service to combat telemarketers. Over the last month, more than 20,000 customers have signed up for U S WEST's No Solicitation service.

Both U S WEST Caller ID with Privacy and U S WEST No Solicitation assist customers in screening unwanted telemarketing calls. Customers can choose which service works best for them.

Caller ID with Privacy This latest service works with a customer's existing Caller ID box. Customers without a Caller ID box can order the new service with the box included. Here's how it works:

* Incoming callers who have blocked their number so that it shows up as "unavailable" or "anonymous" are given a choice. The caller can press 1 to unblock the number so it will show up on Caller ID. The caller also can press 2 to record their name or the caller can press # to leave a message

* With Caller ID with Privacy , customers receiving phone calls will be able to identify incoming calls in several ways. When the phone rings, blocked numbers will be unblocked enabling phone users to decide whether or not to take the call. In other instances, customers will hear the recorded name of the incoming caller, allowing them to press 1 to accept the call or press 2 to reject it.

* If the incoming caller decides to leave a message, the call is forwarded directly to a customer's voice mailbox if available so that the phone does not ring leading to unwanted interruptions.

Caller ID with Privacy is priced at $9.95 per month for residential customers, $10.95 for business customers. Both offers include the price of basic Caller ID capability. For residential customers, the increase to go from Caller ID to the enhanced service is about $3.

Special Promotions: Free Upgrades and Home-Cooked Dinners Current Caller ID subscribers can upgrade to the new service for free during April. After that, a modest upgrade charge will be applied.

Customers not currently using Caller ID can sign up for the entire service beginning this month and order a Caller ID box for $29.95.

Also this month, as part of a special promotion, those ordering Caller ID with Privacy in Portland, Phoenix, Salt Lake, Denver, Minneapolis and Seattle can submit ideas about combating telemarketing along with contact information. Those with the best ideas will win a free gourmet dinner prepared by a local chef at the customer's home in recognition of how this new service allows people to enjoy a peaceful dinner without interruptions.

No Solicitation U S WEST's No Solicitation service continues to be available for customers interested in screening telemarketing calls without the benefit of a Caller ID box. Here's how this service works:

* For incoming callers, a message is played indicating that the person they're calling does not accept sales calls and asks the caller to remove the customer from their calling list.

* If the incoming call is not a telemarketing call, the caller can simply press 1 and get through.

* Names and numbers of friends and families can be programmed into the service allowing frequent callers to bypass the telemarketing alert message altogether.

U S WEST No Solicitation is available for $6.95 per month.

Additional Services In extreme situations such as threatening or harassing phone calls, U S WEST Call Trace, already available through *57, can be a valuable tool for customers. The service traces the phone number of such callers and turns that number over to the U S WEST Call Identification Center. If necessary, action may be taken by U S WEST or local law enforcement. For customer safety, the name and number of the harassing caller will never be turned over to the customer. As always, customers are advised to call 911 in life-threatening situations.

To order any of these services and to confirm availability, customers should call:

1-800-244-1111 for residential customers 1-800-603-6000 for business customers

U S WEST provides a full range of telecommunications services -- including wireline, wireless PCS, data networking, directory and information services -- to more than 25 million customers nationally and in 14 western and midwestern states. More information about U S WEST can be found on the Internet at http://www.uswest.com.