HomeMy WebLinkAboutGNRT988v1.docxIMPORTANT! IPUC STAFF SURVEY REGARDING POTENTIAL
RATE INCREASES TO PAY FOR EXTENDED AREA SERVICE
The Commission will be considering whether to grant Rural customer requests for extended area service (EAS) between their exchanges and Boise, Mountain Home or Treasure Valley. EAS is a service arrangement providing toll-free calling among local exchanges. However, EAS is not provided for free. If EAS is granted, the costs for providing EAS may be shared by the affected Rural customers -- whether the individual customer makes long distance calls or not. The Commission has previously denied EAS requests where the increased rates necessary to cover the costs outweigh the customer costs for simply continuing to use long distance. In this case, Staff has analyzed the costs for providing EAS. To assist the Commission Staff in making its final recommendation, please respond to the following questions, and return this survey in the self addressed envelope by April 20, 1999. Your name is not necessary. Only a summary of the survey results will be made public. Individual responses will be kept confidential.
1. Based on information provided by Rural and U S WEST, the Commission Staff estimates the following increases to your basic local service rate for each line may be necessary to support the various EAS plans. Staff estimated increases to rates are not necessarily those the Commission would order. Assuming the Commission approves an EAS plan at the estimated increases to local bills described below, which toll-free calling plan do you support? Circle your answer
Tipanuk, Prairie & Boise River customers to/from
Treasure Valley Region*$57 increase for local rate/mo/lineYes No
(*Boise, Mountain Home, Caldwell, Eagle, Emmett, Idaho City, Kuna, Melba, Meridian, Middleton, Nampa & Star)
Mountain Home only$40 increase for local rate/mo/lineYes No
Atlanta to/from
Treasure Valley Region*$57 increase for Atlanta’s local rate/mo/lineYes No
(*Boise, Mountain Home, Caldwell, Eagle, Emmett, Idaho City, Kuna, Melba, Meridian, Middleton, Nampa & Star)
Boise only$40 increase for Atlanta’s local rate/mo/lineYes No
2. If EAS is only granted to Tipanuk customers for toll free calling to and from Boise and Mountain Home, and no other community receives toll-free calling, the Commission Staff estimates that the costs will require Tipanuk customers’ basic local service rates to increase $99 per month per line. If you are a Tipanuk customer, do you support toll-free calling to Boise and Mountain Home if these cost estimates are right?____________
3. If any of the described EAS plans are approved, will you continue your telephone service?_____
4. Please circle your community and telephone prefix.
Community: Atlanta Featherville Pine Prairie TipanukPrefix: 864 653 868 796
5. Are you: Full time resident______ Part time resident (recreational)______
6. How much do you pay per month for local service?____________
7. How much do you spend per month to call:
a. Treasure Valley Region_________b. Mountain Home________c. Boise______
d. Twin Falls_______e. Other Idaho Community (Identify)___________________
8. How many times per month do you make a toll call to:
schools___________________Identify the community(ies)_____________
government services_________Identify the community(ies)_____________
medical/dental services_______Identify the community(ies)_____________
business(es)________________Identify the business(es)________________
9. Even if the Commission does not grant EAS, Rural’s rates are expected to increase to allow Rural’s customer rates to continue to be subsidized by the Idaho Universal Service Fund (IUSF). The IUSF is funded by a surcharge on all Idaho telephone customer bills and is used to subsidize customer rates in high-cost rural areas. Rural customers receive the second highest subsidy in Idaho. In order to retain that subsidy (about $35/line/month), Rural customer rates must be increased to 125% of the statewide average. Since statewide averages have increased, this means that Rural customers can expect to see increases to basic local service rates of about $6/line/month over the next year, even without EAS. If rates increase due to IUSF, will you continue your telephone service?___________
10. Overall, how would you rate the quality of your local (excluding long distance) service?
Excellent_____ Good_______ Fair_________ Poor_________
Other Comments (If you have comments regarding 911 or emergency services, please direct those comments to Elmore County Commission. The IPUC does not have any authority over emergency services.)____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
If you have any questions, call the IPUC at 1-800-432-0369.
Please return the completed survey to: Idaho Public Utilities Commission, P.O. Box 83720, Boise, ID 83720-0074 (a pre-addressed envelope is enclosed for your convenience).