Local telephone customers: Your voices were heard

Action

The Office of the Ohio Consumers' Counsel (OCC) encouraged residential consumers and community organizations to voice their opinions about proposed rules that could have allowed eligible telephone companies to increase the prices of basic local service and basic Caller ID as much as 20 percent per year. Consumers expressed their thoughts at local public hearings and through letters to the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO).

Result

Telephone rules adopted by the PUCO considered consumers' concerns and made improvements. Based on the final rules, consumers helped:
  • Minimize the potential rate increases. Most of Ohio's large local telephone companies could apply for the ability to annually increase the monthly price of basic local service by a maximum of $1.25. For most customers, this maximum would be less than half of what was originally proposed. In addition, the monthly price of basic Caller ID could increase up to 50 cents per year.
  • Ensure that Lifeline customers remained protected from rate increases. The OCC and other consumer groups successfully advocated that a section of the proposed rules remain in the final rules to ensure that many of those who can least afford a rate increase would not be affected.
  • Provide more advanced notice prior to a rate increase. The PUCO ordered that customers be provided 30 days notice of any increases, up from 15 days under the proposed rules.
Thank you to residential consumers, community groups and local public officials for helping the OCC make a difference.

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