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40 °F Forecast | Road Cams Friday, November 26, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend June 30, 2004 PUC approves local toll-free calling For most Southern Oregon phone customers, the bill will go up a few cents By SANNE SPECHT Mail Tribune It’s official. Southern Oregon phone customers will have access to toll-free calling no later than Oct. 2, according to the final order of the Public Utilities Commission. For more than 94 percent of the region’s customers, the new calling rates will result in a monthly increase of just 17 cents. Shayne Maxwell, project initiator and chairwoman of the citizens’ advisory task force to PUC, says the two years she spent creating the unified calling zone was worth the effort. "I’m delighted," Maxwell said. "It’s removing a very expensive barrier that has kept us from communicating with each other for a long, long, time." Eighteen regions encompassing Grants Pass, Medford, Ashland and outlying areas in Jackson and Josephine counties will be part of the state’s second largest calling zone. Advertisement Michael Grant, PUC chief administrative law judge, said the region may be up and running before the Oct. 2 deadline. "We tell the phone companies they have to implement (the region) by Oct. 2," Grant said. "But if they can do it sooner, we have assured them we won’t stand in their way." In the PUC’s final order, the commission stated it has long recognized the problems created by outdated telephone exchange boundaries, particularly for smaller communities. The commission approved the new region following extensive public outreach throughout the individual communities. Petition drives, public meetings and informational open houses were all part of a fact-gathering campaign, the commission said. New rates will vary among the four telephone companies that serve the region: Qwest, Verizon, Sprint United and Citizens. Most exchanges are served by Qwest and will see relatively minor rate increases on their phone bills. The largest rate increases will hit customers in outlying areas such as Prospect. Prospect, Shady Cove, Butte Falls and White City are all served by Sprint United. Customers for all phone companies will continue to have two options for calling rates. They can choose either a flat calling rate or utilize the option of a measured rate which is billed on a per-minute basis. The following are the new monthly residential rates for extended area of service once the new toll-free calling region is implemented by Oct. 2: Current New Prospect $3.20 $9 Shady Cove $7.35 $9 Butte Falls $6.85 $9 White City $8.45 $9 Central Point $2.03 $2.20 Medford $2.03 $2.20 Phx/Talent $2.03 $2.20 Ashland $2.03 $2.20 Jacksonville $2.03 $2.20 Gold Hill $2.03 $2.20 Rogue River $2.03 $2.20 Grants Pass $1.28 $2.20 Mrphy/Prvlt $5 $5.60 Selma $11.08 $11.74 Cave Jct. $1.94 $3.37 O’Brien $6.71 $8.98 Wolf Creek $9.77 $12.04 Glendale $3.79 $4.36 The following are the new monthly business rates: Prospect $5.37 $14.85 Shady Cove $12.41 $14.85 Butte Falls $11.55 $14.85 White City $14.12 $14.85 Central Point $3.05 $3.27 Medford $3.05 $3.27 Phx/Talent $3.05 $3.27 Ashland $3.05 $3.27 Jacksonville $3.05 $3.27 Gold Hill $3.05 $3.27 Rogue River $3.05 $3.27 Grants Pass $1.95 $3.27 Mrphy/Prvlt $8 $8.50 Selma $22.16 $23.48 Cave Jct. $3.88 $6.74 O’Brien $13.42 $17.96 Wolf Creek $19.45 $24.08 Glendale $7.58 $10.80 Reach reporter Sanne Specht at 776-4497 or e-mail [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities