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State, US West feud over standards Service regulations spur debate Wire and staff reports SALEM -- US West claims that a new state law allows the telecommunications company to lower its service standards to levels comparable in other states. But the state's top utility regulator couldn't disagree more. The issue came up Monday, when US West outlined its service performance over the past three months to the Oregon Public Utility Commission. The commission, which has long criticized US West's service record, said the company has met several of the standards but falls short in other areas. But PUC Chairman Ron Eachus saved his harshest rebukes for US West's interpretation of Senate Bill 622, explained in a letter from the company dated Oct. 29. Eachus said the law, according to US West's take on it, would allow the company to operate under much lower service quality standards than before. He said that stance is "shameful and ludicrous" and dared US West officials at the quarterly meeting to prove otherwise. "Find any editorial board that supported the bill, find any legislator, any legislative leadership, anyone involved in the negotiations willing to support that interpretation -- that's my challenge to you," Eachus said. US West maintains that statewide standards should be comparable to those for the rest of the country, and that the standards should be even lower for Oregon firms that participate in the regulatory guidelines spelled out in SB622. "The intent we have is to follow the letter of the law," said US West spokesman Jim Haynes. "The key thing is that the bill itself is driving the commission toward standards that are the norm nationally." Eachus was having none of that argument. "I won't apologize for Oregon setting high standards," he said. The PUC does not have to abide by any of US West's suggestions, Eachus said. But he interpreted part of the company's letter as threatening to sue if the rules are not adopted its way. During the quarterly hearing, the PUC heard that service is improving in some areas, but continues to suffer in others. Despite its troubles statewide, US West's service in the Rogue Valley hasn't been struggling, according to regional manager Gary Miller. "We shape up pretty well," says Miller. "We're really doing quite well in the Rogue Valley." The company's three wire centers in Jackson County -- in Medford, Phoenix-Talent and Ashland -- all met the state-imposed service requirements, which Miller called the "toughest in the nation." The wire centers in Grants Pass and Roseburg both had slightly more trouble reports than the standard mandates. However, Miller said the centers are showing "tremendous improvement." Statewide, US West met the commission's requirement that it average less than two repair reports per 100 customers. That figure was 1.96 at the end of October. The firm also met the standard for percentage of calls to its repair bureau answered within 20 seconds. The commission demands an 85 percent rate, and US West reached that in September and October for the first time since March. But when it comes to access to US West's business office, the company still lags behind the requirement that 85 percent of calls be answered in 20 seconds. In October, the rate was just over 50 percent; the standard hasn't been reached since July 1998. Today's Business Index Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA