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For Immediate Release
December 3, 1998
White Joins Effort to Bring Local Phone Competition, Modernization
to Rural PA
Harrisburg – State Sen. Mary Jo White (R-21) has joined the effort to
bring local telephone competition to Pennsylvania and advanced telecommunications
technology to rural areas, such as the 21st Senatorial District. White has filed an Application for Leave to Intervene, joining Sen.
Roger Madigan (R-23) and Sen. Vincent Fumo (D-1) in urging the state Public
Utility Commission to take an aggressive stance on the issue. White’s entry into the global telecommunications settlement proceeding
comes as Bell Atlantic-Pennsylvania seeks PUC approval to provide long
distance service in the commonwealth. White, vice chairman of the Senate Communications and High Technology
Committee, says Bell Atlantic should be denied entry into long distance
markets until it complies with the Pennsylvania Telecommunications Act
of 1993. The measure calls for Bell Atlantic to take steps to allow local telephone
competition and to install a statewide broad band fiber optics system to
serve rural and other areas. In return, Bell Atlantic certain regulations
were dropped and the company was able to increase profits. "Bell Atlantic must do more to comply with its end of the deal," White
said. For rural customers, the lack of technology and competition has brought
a wide array of customer complaints, White noted. Customers must put up
with arbitrary local toll call areas and prices, slow service, lack of
Internet access, over-billing, and systems that can’t access pagers and
touch tone services. White, who in July testified on the matter before the Senate Consumer
Protection and Professional Licensure Committee, said she became involved
to protect the interests of rural phone customers, many of whom feel they’ve
been left on the side of the road of the information superhighway. "It is important that all Pennsylvania residents, urban and rural, have
access to the same phone technology and services. I will continue to stay
involved in this issue until I am satisfied that true local competition
is achieved," said White.
CONTACT: Leigh Ramsey (717) 787-9684
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