Dear Internet User

The Swiss PTT announced on 9. Sept 1996 that they will offer dial-up Internet Services to the larger public. The announcement was that they would offer dial-up access for low price a month but via a local call everywhere in Switzerland through a newly created 0842.. telephone sevice. The new 0842 service (until this week) was not available to any other ISP except the Swiss PTT. The Swiss PTT states the service is NOW available to all ISPs except that we (the ISPs) will have to wait at least 2 months before we are able to offer this service to our customers. That is why no existing Swiss Internet Service Provider will be able to offer such a competitive offer. We believe this is unfair competitionand its only purpose is to dominate the emerging Internet market. We calculated that the Blue Window department of the PTT will have to pay CHF 75.- to 150.- per customer and per month to the Swiss PTT 0842 department while gaining a average fee from each Blue Window customer. In our opinion, this is clearly against the law ,since we are not allowed by law to offer telephone services ourselves, we can NOT offer an alternatives to the Swiss PTT's 0842 numbers!

The PTT plans (based upon an estimated 100,000 dial-up Swiss Internet users) to lose CHF 5 to 13 Million per month if they achieve market domination via these unfair practices!

Why does this matter to the Swiss people?

• This is CHF 2.- of tax money per month for each of the 7 million Swiss person (every man, woman & child)!
• The Swiss Internet customers (private people and companies) will lose, yes lose, in the short to medium term.

  Why? Because the Swiss Internet market is one of the most competitive in the world (offering Internet dial-up at the same or lower rates than in the USA!!).

  This has come about due to the fierce but fair competition between providers. Will this competition really exist once the Swiss PTT's unfair practices have possibly wiped out many of the Swiss Internet Providers?

  We (Swiss Internet Providers) think not. The big loser in the end will be the Swiss people who once again have to deal only with a monopolist.

The Swiss Internet Providers have decided to take action to inform the Swiss Public in these unfair efforts by launching our 'Red Windows' campaign. If you also want fair competition, a choise of providers and a long term benefit for yourselves then insert a URL with the 'Red Windows' gif and the words 'Swiss PTT - Unfair Competition' on your web page; do not support Blue Windows and write to your member of Parliment asking them: - I request that you explain to me why you are allowing my taxes to be used in unfair competition by the Swiss PTT in their Internet project Blue Windows.