In the Iowa case there were several articles in the regular press that some people/companies were taking advantage of the fact that certain rural phone companies took advantage of the fact the fed. govt. subsidized them by paying a certain amount for each minute a line was used. This was set up many decades ago to encourage phone development in rural areas. (I actually think it was outsiders who were taking advantage of this anomaly.)
The "expert" didn't give me any reason - it was I who guessed this might be the case since this Iowa situation was going on at the same time. I can't recall if he used the term "free ride". He definitely said they wouldn't be around much longer - at least in their then present form.
In hind sight - the UM situation came to ahead recently because callers wouldn't pay the very high price charged for them to dial the +423 numbers. The "free" incoming calls were being paid for the the person placing the call.
Do we know what caused the problems w. several IOM card issuers to suddenly discontinue operations?

...mike