On Wed, 14 Feb 2007 16:03:28 -0500, mm
wrote:


Did dial-up ever cause a shortage of phone lines? I never heard that,

I shouldn't have used the word "lines". I mean whatever is needed at
the central stations to keep a phone call running.

Isn't that what there is a shortage of when someone gets a fast busy
on a local phone call?

I'm sure some resources are used in addition to my phone and the line
running to my local central station.

but I am surprised if the phone companies had the capacity to fulfill
maybe a 50 to 300% increase in demand over the course of 10 years,
from soon after dial-up's startup to its peak. There are people who
spent maybe a half hour a day on the phone before the net, who must
have spent 12 hours a day on the phone/modem after the net. Combined
with all those who only used it for an hour extra, that's an enormous
increase.