h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

The US can get away with the unmetered calls because they are so technologically advanced j/k

Actually, as BT keep boasting, the UK has the most technologically advanced Communications network in the world.
Mind you, what they neglect to mention is that it was all funded when they were the Post Office Telephones, Funded by us, the taxpayers.

Actually, the call meter scheme is put into place so that you will be able to have a life outside of your computer. Because if there were unlimited calls in UK, you would be online almost all of your life and therefore would miss the chances to really touch people's lives. Just think of all the "coincindences" you would miss.

But if the 'net was commonplace, people wouldn't set so much importance in it.
It'd just become another form of communication

There IS something to be said for the old fashion one on one forms of communication

Yeah, but it's difficult to take part in a discussion over the telephone with more than one person than it is on the 'net (Conference calling not inclusive, It's more than n+1 times expensive than a single call).