BT bashed in prisoners' call discount row
PrintAre these the punters coming back to BT?
Posted in Telecoms, 3rd February 2005 10:30 GMT
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BT is cutting the cost of making a phone call - but you'll have to be behind bars to benefit.
Details fo the "discount offer" for the UK's 74,000 prisoners - which sees the cost of calls made from jails fall from 11p to 9p a minute between January 5 and April 5 - were revealed in a leaked memo.
The Mirror reports that the lags' promo has sparked a massive row, angering those who work to support the victims of crime.
Tory MP Damian Green told the newspaper: "I am sure many victims will be offended, as will many BT customers struggling to pay their bills."
A BT spokesman explained that the offer was part of a contract it has with the Home Office. He declined to reveal the size of the contract or how much revenue BT generated each year from calls made by prisoners. However, he confirmed that call revenues are split between BT, the Home Office and the Prison Service. ®
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