Order 15741 - Bell Atlantic: Petition to Expand Woonsocket Calling Area

 

STATE OF RHODE ISLAND AND PROVIDENCE PLANTATIONS

DIVISION OF PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS

Order

WHEREAS, The Division of Public Utilities and Carriers ("Division") received a petition with twenty-two signatures on February 20, 1998 from the George Wiley Center requesting that the local telephone calling area of the Woonsocket telephone exchange be expanded to include the Providence exchange. A subsequent petition was received that contained one hundred and three additional signatures supporting the original request. The petitions were docketed as Docket No. 98-12 by the Division. An amended petition was submitted on May 13, 1998 from the Gray Panthers and the George Wiley Center which requested that telephone users in the Woonsocket exchange be provided the option to choose whether they want to call the Providence exchange toll-free. In response to the aforementioned petitions, the Division conducted a duly noticed public hearing in the Woonsocket City Council chambers on May 27, 1998 in order to hear public comments relative to the petition.

WHEREAS, the Division issued Order No. 15651 in Docket No. D-98-12 on August 6, 1998, requiring Bell Atlantic ("BA") to conduct a comprehensive poll of its telephone subscribers in the Woonsocket exchange, to ascertain whether there is a willingness among ratepayers to extend their local telephone calling to include the Providence telephone exchange. The cost associated with the requested expansion would be an additional charge of $3.11 per month for flat-rate (unlimited) residence 1-party service and $3.02 per month for flat-rate (unlimited) residence 2-party service. Additionally, flat-rate business service would have to be changed to measured business as flat rate business service is no longer available. Also, measured services would remain unchanged at the statewide uniformed rate of $17.91 for business; and $6.17 for residential; and

WHEREAS, the Division determined that the expansion of the Woonsocket local calling area would be considered if a majority of the exchange customers elected, by ballot, to accept the expansion proposal; and

WHEREAS, the Division extended the deadline for ballots after the scheduled return date of November 6, 1998 to November 20, 1998 in order to maximize the voting response from the Woonsocket exchange customers; and

WHEREAS, Bell Atlantic mailed 25,117 ballots with stamped return envelopes to all Woonsocket telephone exchange users; and

WHEREAS, the Division determined that a majority of the Woonsocket exchange ratepayers must express a preference in order for the poll to be considered a fair representation of the desires of the affected plurality, and

WHEREAS, the final tally of submitted ballots and responses was 12,314 which represents 49% of the total mailed ballots but was less than the 50% minimum threshold; and

WHEREAS, in acknowledgment of the substantial participation of the Woonsocket exchange subscribers in the polling process, the Division finds the poll to be convincing and considers the response to be an equitable delineation of the wishes of the Woonsocket exchange customers; and

WHEREAS, there were 234 ballots and responses which were disqualified due to the telephone users' failures to indicate a choice, and

WHEREAS, the final composite of validated ballots totaled 12,080; and

WHEREAS, the results were 57.5% or 6,952 of the telephone subscribers in the Woonsocket exchange indicated they do not want to extend their local calling to the Providence telephone exchange and 42.5% or 5,128 of the Woonsocket ratepayers were willing to pay an additional rate to expand their local calling area to include Providence.

Accordingly, it is

(15741) ORDERED:

In view of the final polling results, the petitioners' (the Gray Panthers and the George Wiley Center) request that Bell Atlantic expand the Woonsocket exchange to include the Providence telephone exchange is hereby denied.

The Division also directs Bell Atlantic to undertake an educational outreach program with Woonsocket exchange customers to inform them of the existing options available to tailor their telephone service to meet their needs.

DATED AND EFFECTIVE AT PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND ON NOVEMBER 24, 1998.