Question:
When you receive a call on your mobile, it displays the caller's number.
So why do you have to pay for this service on your landline? Eh? Eh?
(Nothing to see, Mon 11 Jul 2005, 15:23, archived)

Because god* hates you.
*and BT
(tacpprm has a mmrpcat, Mon 11 Jul 2005, 15:24, archived)

Because on your landline
you're not already being ripped off left right and centre for any other "service" your network cares to provide.
( Goatworrier had your mum and she was shit, Mon 11 Jul 2005, 15:24, archived)

Complete guessing
But the mobile protocols are far more modern than landline protocols, so the concept of caller id probably didn't exist when they were first invented, but were easy to add to a brand new protocol like mobile ones

They then found a way to do it as part of the old protocols, but is not as easy, so you have to pay for it

Like I said, total guess though
( elusive I'm not really here. You're imagining me, Mon 11 Jul 2005, 15:26, archived)

There are three explanations:
1. The first one.
2. The final one. and
3. The one before the final one.
( baldmonkey a frothy foul-smelling vaginal discharge, Mon 11 Jul 2005, 15:26, archived)

because line rental/call charges are higher on a mobile,
thus covering the cost of providing a Caller ID service

/guess but seems plausible
( Fergburger, Mon 11 Jul 2005, 15:27, archived)

That's the thing I can't get my head around.
How much can it possibly cost the network to forward an 11 digit number whilst making the connection? I'd imagine as good as nothing.
(Nothing to see, Mon 11 Jul 2005, 15:30, archived)