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57 °F Forecast | Road Cams Wednesday, January 26, 2005 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 Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Opportunities Moving to Southern Oregon? 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 October 1, 2004 Phoning in Southern Oregon goes toll-free Beginning Saturday, the region has Oregon’s biggest toll-free calling zone outside of Portland By SANNE SPECHT Mail Tribune At one minute past midnight, Southern Oregon phone customers will have access to toll-free calling throughout Jackson, Josephine and part of Douglas counties. The new calling zone will cost 17 cents a month for 94 percent of the region’s customers. Affordable communication was the driving force behind project initiator Shayne Maxwell’s efforts to secure the new zone. She says what began as outrage over exorbitant long-distance charges resulted in billing changes for 18 regions encompassing Grants Pass, Medford, Ashland and outlying areas of the three counties. "I can hardly wait to pick up my phone on Saturday and call my friends in Shady Cove and Ashland," she says. "And my husband can hardly wait to get our phone without those toll charges being on it." The new region is the state’s second largest toll-free calling zone. Portland has the largest. Advertisement John Irwin, a member of the citizens advisory task force to the Public Utilities Commission and chairman of the Oregon Telecommunications Coordinating Council, says the new zone has important implications. People may be less hesitant to call their doctors or schools or local businesses without the burden of burgeoning phone bills, he says. "Anything we can do to help people have affordable communication is going to be of benefit to their lives," says Irwin. "It ripples throughout the economy and quality of life for people." Most exchanges are served by Qwest, and its customers 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 rate for the toll-free zone or utilize the option of a measured rate which is billed on a per-minute basis. Irwin credits Maxwell’s perseverance for bringing citizens, the four telephone companies and the PUC to come to the table and get this done, he says. Maxwell, who also served as chairwoman of the PUC task force, collected petitions, held public meetings and put on informational open houses. After reviewing all the data, the PUC issued its final order in June. Southern Oregon’s four telephone companies — Quest, Verizon, Sprint United and Citizens — were directed to implement a revenue-neutral plan to go into effect at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday. Two years and nine months after Maxwell began the challenge, the wait is over. "In answer to that old nagging question, ‘Yes, you can hear me now!’" Maxwell says. "I could not be happier and am very thankful to everyone who did their part to make this happen." 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 © 1997-2005 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 Student Loan Consolidation Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers