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For Immediate Release
July 2, 1998

White Testifies at Committee Hearing on Local Telephone Competition

Harrisburg - Legislative oversight is needed to ensure that the best technology and open competition are available to Pennsylvania's local telephone customers, state Sen. Mary Jo White (R-21) said today.

White presented testimony yesterday at a hearing held by the Senate Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee on competition in the local telephone market.

Much of the hearing focused on the effects of Chapter 30, the 1993 state law that provided Bell Atlantic-Pennsylvania with economic incentives to create a high-speed communications network and open local phone service to competition.

Critics say Bell Atlantic has failed to meet the goal set by Chapter 30 to have high-speed, fiber-optic connections available to 20 percent of its urban and rural residential customers by 1998. Bell Atlantic controls at least 97 percent of the local market, according to recent testimony before the Public Utility Commission.

White said improvements in local telephone choice and service have been too slow in coming.

"Customers, particularly residential customers, complain about arbitrary local toll call areas and prices, slow service, lack of Internet access, over-billing, systems that can't access beepers and touch tone services, charges to business customers for local calls, and a general 'take it or leave it' attitude on the part of their local exchange providers," said White.

The senator said she understood that meeting Chapter 30 goals may take longer in rural areas, but a sincere effort must be made.

"The net effect is that rural Pennsylvanians risk falling even further behind," she said.

White urged Pennsylvania's major telecommunication companies - including Bell Atlantic-PA, AT&T and MCI - to work collaboratively with the PUC to expand technology and competition in the state.

"If legislative authorization is needed, I feel confident that support could be generated," she said.

The senator also urged the Legislature to monitor the effects of Chapter 30 and the progress of local telephone competition in Pennsylvania.

"Telecommuting, access to data, and improved emergency response systems can transform rural Pennsylvania, but this presumes that the infrastructure will be there to accommodate us," said White. "My biggest fear is an information superhighway that has no exit or entrance ramps in Venango and Lawrence counties."