AT&T; Will Cut Price of Interstate Calls by 2.2%

WASHINGTON —  American Telephone & Telegraph Co. said Thursday that it will reduce its evening interstate long-distance rates by about 5% and daytime rates by about a half-percent Sunday as part of a $300-million overall price cut.

The company also will reduce the price of operator-assisted calls, calls to Canada and calls made under its Reach Out America plan.

Overall, if the Federal Communications Commission approves, interstate calling rates will fall an average of 2.2%, AT&T; spokesman Herb Linnen said.

The company will eliminate the one free call now allowed under its interstate directory service, meaning all such calls will cost 60 cents.

The cost of a 10-minute, direct-dialed call anywhere in the country will drop to $1.49--or less--from $1.58 between 5 p.m. and 11 p.m. Sunday through Friday.

AT&T;’s prices have dropped nearly 43% since the demise in 1984 of the old Bell system, primarily because of FCC-ordered reductions in local-access charges.

The FCC last week ordered local telephone companies to reduce by $1.1 billion, effective Sunday, what they charge long-distance companies to connect with their networks.

Long-distance carriers typically pass along to customers the savings from these reduced “access charges.”

Other long-distance companies, such as MCI and US Sprint, usually follow AT&T;’s lead in rate reductions.