The Oregon Public Utility Commission (PUC) has terminated an alternative regulation plan adopted for U S WEST Communications, Inc. a telecommunications local exchange carrier (LEC), in 1991. (For PUC order approving plan, see, Re U S West Communications, Inc., 128 PUR4th 135 (Ore.P.U.C.).)
The settlement agreement culminates an investigation by the PUC's staff into a "severe increase of service-quality problems" over the past four years (em including an excessive number of customer-service complaints in 24 of the LEC's 77 central offices as well as a failure to meet the service standard for transmission-loss level variation. In addition to terminating the rate plan, the LEC is directed to provide, at its own expense: 1) a cellular phone loaner option for customers that do not receive requested service on time, and 2) an automatic out-of-service credit for customers that experience unreasonable delays in receiving service repairs. Re U S WEST Communications, Inc., UT 80, Order No. 96-107, Apr. 24, 1996 (Ore.P.U.C.).
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