20060316RUR response 1st request Part I.pdf

ORIGINAL
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Conley E. Ward, Idaho State Bar No. 1683
Michael C. Creamer, Idaho State Bar No. 4030
GIVENS PURSLEY LLP
601 West Bannock Street
O. Box 2720
Boise, Idaho 83701-2720
Office: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
www.givenspursley.com
Attorneys for Rural Telephone Company
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BEFORE THE IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
IN THE MATTER OF THE
INVESTIGATION OF RURAL
TELEPHONE COMPANY'
COMPLIANCE WITH COMMISSION
RULES
Case No.: RUR-06-
RURAL TELEPHONE COMPANY
RESPONSE TO FIRST PRODUCTION
REQUEST OF THE COMMISSION STAFF
Rural Telephone Company (the "Company ), through its attorneys Givens Pursley LLP
submits the following responses to the Idaho Public Utilities Commission Staff's First
Production Request of the Commission Staff to Rural Telephone Company.
PRELIMINARY STATEMENT
The Company has used its best efforts in conducting a thorough investigation of its
records in an effort to comply with the Commission s production requests. In the event that the
Company discovers additional information relevant to these requests, it will endeavor to provide
that to the Commission in a timely manner.
RURAL TELEPHONE COMPANY S RESPONSE TO FIRST PRODUCTION REQUEST - 1
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We have assumed that the Commission does not seek confidential information protected
by a privilege. To the extent that the Commission is requesting privileged information, the
Company objects. These responses do not include any such confidential material.
The Company has made a good faith attempt to make these responses as informative as
possible. That does not mean, however, that the Company waives any objections that it may
have to the production and/or admissibility of any matter following.
Mark Martell, Administrative Manager of the Company, will be the sponsor of any
answers herein in the event of a hearing in this matter.
RESPONSES TO REQUESTS FOR PRODUCTION
REQUEST NO.Pursuant to the Commission s Telephone Customer Relations Rules
501-503 , are customers entitled to a refund of their monthly service charges for December 2005?
RESPONSE TO REQUEST NO.Yes. As a result of the unanticipated service
outage during the days of November 30 to December 7 and December 22 to January 4, and
extenuating circumstances preventing immediate restoration of service, Atlanta customers each
received a refund for local services for the entire December 2005 billing period.
REQUEST NO.Did the Company adequately respond to the reports of service
outage by customers?
RESPONSE TO REQUEST NO.Yes. The Company responded appropriately to
the outage pursuant to the standards of Rule 503.02.
REQUEST NO.What steps, if any, should the Company take to mitigate the
possibility of outages caused by winter snowfalls?
RESPONSE TO REQUEST NO.The Company has explored ways to mitigate the
possibility of outages at its James Creek and Trinity transmission/repeater sites. The Company
currently has solar panels and battery back-up in place at both sites. The Company has
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determined that the use of wind turbines at these sites is a feasible strategy to provide further
redundancy in power supply for these remote sites to mitigate the effects of significant winter
storms. These turbines, manufactured by Southwest Windpower of Flagstaff, Arizona, have
been acquired by the Company and are scheduled to be installed in the summer of 2006. Trinity
generally is accessible only by helicopter in the winter months, and the Company must rely on
the pilot's judgment to determine when flights are possible. Mountain weather, particularly at
high elevations, is unpredictable.
REQUEST NO.Does the Company experience network congestion, and if so, what
remedies are available?
RESPONSE TO REQUEST NO.No. The Company has never experienced an "all
circuits busy" situation due to telephone traffic for the Atlanta area.
REQUEST NO.Are the Company s directories in compliance with the
Commission s Rules?
RESPONSE TO REQUEST NO.The Company has been made aware that the PUC
Complaint information section was inadvertently omitted in the Company s 2005 directory. This
will be rectified in our upcoming directory.
REQUEST NO.How does the Company ensure it properly identifies customers as
residential or business in compliance with the terms of its tariff?
RESPONSE TO REQUEST NO.Customers set up their accounts either as
residential or business. The Company advises its customers upon setting up a residential account
that if it is discovered that the line is being utilized for business purposes, the customer will be
notified via letter and switched to business rates.
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REQUEST NO.What are the Company s business office hours? By what means
, telephone call or e-mail, can customers contact the Company during regular office hours?
By what means, e., telephone call or e-mail, can customers contact the Company for all other
times?
RESPONSE TO REQUEST NO.Company office hours are Monday - Friday,
8:00am - 5:00pm. The Company has an after-hours automated voice system and can be
contacted via the Internet at www.rtci.net in the "Contact Us" section. Both phone messages and
e-mail messages are checked during the weekend and on holidays.
REQUEST NO.Please provide a copy of the Company s customer service training
manual.
RESPONSE TO REQUEST NO.Please see Customer Service Training Manual
attached hereto as Production Response #
REQUEST NO.Does the Company provide dial-up or broadband Internet access to
Atlanta?
RESPONSE TO REQUEST NO.Dial up Internet is available either through the
Company or other Internet service providers via long distance over the Company s network. The
Company also makes high-speed satellite Internet available to Atlanta customers.
REQUEST NO. 10:Does the Company have any employees stationed in Atlanta? If so
describe duties.
RESPONSE TO REQUEST NO. 10:The Company does not have an employee
stationed in Atlanta.
REQUEST NO. 11:What options does a customer have for listing their address in the
Company s directory?
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RESPONSE TO REQUEST NO. 11:All customers names, phone numbers and
addresses are published unless the customer applies to the Company to be non-listed, non-
published or both. The service application has a section for the customer to determine how they
want their listing. Also the directory (pg. 3) discusses the options for non-published/non-listed
numbers with our toll-free number provided for questions and assistance. A customer may also
request an update or change to their listing via the Company website.
REQUEST NO. 12:Please describe the Company s application process. Are all
applicants required to complete a written application for service? Please provide a copy of the
Company s written application for service.
RESPONSE TO REQUEST NO. 12:All customers must complete a written
application prior to receiving dial tone. The customer is required to provide identification, Social
Security number, daytime telephone number and one form of credit reference. See Production
Response #2 attached hereto.
REQUEST NO. 13:Under what circumstances is a commercial credit screen used?
What type of credit screen is used?
RESPONSE TO REQUEST NO. 13:If a customer does not provide a letter of credit
from their previous phone company then they must either provide a $60/residential or
$100/business deposit or sign a credit release so the Company may perform a credit check. The
Company uses Equifax to provide credit information (see copy of application attached hereto as
Production Response #3).
REQUEST NO. 14:In May of2005 , the Commission was made aware that Rural was
removing some its customer s off-premise extensions. The Company was advised by
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Commission Staff to update its tariff to reflect this change in policy. When does the Company
intend to file revised tariffs?
RESPONSE TO REQUEST NO. 14:The Company is reviewing and finalizing its
tariff in this regard and will be filing it with the Commission in the very near future.
REQUEST NO. 15:If a customer wants to have no long distance carrier, how does the
Company accommodate that request?
RESPONSE TO REQUEST NO. 15:The customer must choose a long distance carrier
at the time of application or may request a long distance block. A list of long distance providers
is given to the customer upon initiation of new service.
REQUEST NO. 16:What interexchange carriers provide 1 + dial service in the
Company s Idaho service territory?
RESPONSE TO REQUEST NO. 16:Please refer to the PIC list attached hereto as
Production Response #4.
REQUEST NO. 17:Please describe how the Company determines the appropriate
service classification for customers. What is the policy on changing service when a customer
who is receiving residential service but telephone service is used to conduct of business? What
type of notice is supplied to the customer prior to changing service classification?
RESPONSE TO REQUEST NO. 17:When the Company becomes aware that a
residential line is being used for business purposes (usually this is brought to our attention when
a customer answers the phone with a business name), the Company typically follows up by
searching the Internet (for example, QWest Dexonline.com) to substantiate whether the phone
number is being advertised as a business, and by direct name and phone number queries. If it is
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determined that the phone line is being utilized for business purposes, the customer is notified by
letter that they will be switched to business rates.
REQUEST NO. 18:What type of activity does Rural consider to be a business trade or
activity?
RESPONSE TO REQUEST NO. 18:Any entity, whether it be a business, institution
individual, sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, association, or other business or
institutional form, that performs services or functions for occupational, professional or
institutional purposes is treated as a business trade or activity subject to the Company s business
rates.
REQUEST NO. 19:Please provide a list of Atlanta customers, identifying the telephone
number(s) and current service class designation for each customer.
RESPONSE TO REQUEST NO. 19:Please see list attached hereto as Production
Response #5.
REQUEST NO. 20:Under what circumstances does the Company ask customers for
deposits? How is the deposit amount calculated? How does the Company monitor customer
accounts to determine when a deposit should be refunded? How is interest calculated on
deposits?
RESPONSE TO REQUEST NO. 20:If a customer does not provide a letter of credit
from their previous phone company then they must either provide a $60/residential or
$100/business deposit or sign a credit release form so we may perform a credit check. After one-
year of timely payments the full deposit plus interest is refunded or applied to their account.
Interest is calculated using simple interest methods at the rate determined by Idaho Public
Utilities Commission. For 2006 , simple interest is calculated at 6%.
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REQUEST NO. 21:How does the Company receive reports of outage or other repair
problems during regular office hours. How does the Company receive reports of outage or other
repair problems outside of normal business hours, including weekends and holidays.
RESPONSE TO REQUEST NO. 21:During regular office hours, customers either call
in or use the Internet, both are immediately transferred to dispatch. During non-business hours
customers leave a message on the answering machine or via the Internet. These messages are
checked regularly during weekends and holidays.
REQUEST NO. 22:Please describe the Company s protocol for responding to outages.
Does the Company follow a different protocol for responding to outages in Atlanta? Is so, please
describe.
RESPONSE TO REQUEST NO. 22:The Company uses the same protocol for
responding to outages in all exchanges, including Atlanta. The time it takes to travel from
Corporate Headquarters to a particular exchange depends, however, on the distance and road
conditions. The Company receives an outage notice by either voice-mail message or e-mail
message on weekends and holidays. A customer may speak to dispatch personally during
regular business hours. Upon receiving the outage notice from the customer, dispatch initiates a
trouble ticket and forwards it to the appropriate technician. The technician then acknowledges
and accepts the ticket. The technician determines the proper course of action; whether it is
switch work or something wherein the technician must travel to the site. Once the trouble is
resolved, the technician returns a completed ticket to dispatch, who then closes the ticket. A
record is maintained.
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REQUEST NO. 23:Does the Company encourage customers in Atlanta to report
outages bye-mail? Please describe the protocol for receiving and responding to e-mails
regarding outages.
RESPONSE TO REQUEST NO. 23:Customers may report outages via e-mail. The
protocol for responding to such reported outages is described in Response to Request No. 22
above.
REQUEST NO. 24:How many employees does the Company have that respond to
outages and other repair problems affecting its Idaho customers? Do these employees also
respond to out-of-State outages and other repair problems? Do they also work on Rural's long
distance facilities, Internet facilities, etc? Please provide the titles and job descriptions for these
employees.
RESPONSE TO REQUEST NO. 24:The Company has 7 employees who may respond
to reported troubles/outages. Occasionally a technician will travel out of state. All technicians
are fully trained in every aspect oftelecommunications, network and Internet. Please refer to
attached Production Response #6 for job titles and job descriptions.
REQUEST NO. 25:What training do the Company s employees receive in regard to
responding to outages in Atlanta?
RESPONSE TO REQUEST NO. 25:All technicians are fully trained in every aspect
required for telecommunications equipment and service repair. Technicians are trained by
Senior technicians and equipped to travel to remote and rugged locations via all terrain vehicles
and snowmobiles as required.
REQUEST NO. 26:How does the Company assess avalanche danger and road
conditions prior to responding to outage reports from customers in Atlanta?
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RESPONSE TO REQUEST NO. 26:Technicians access www.avalanche.org via the
Internet then go to the outage site traveling as far as conditions allow and make onsite visual
determinations of travel/avalanche conditions and potential risks.
REQUEST NO. 27:Can Atlanta customers dial 911 to reach emergency services iftoll
service is out?
RESPONSE TO REQUEST NO. 27:When toll service is down residents are unable to
call 911. Customers have advised the Company that they call the local paramedics for
emergency assistance.
REQUEST NO. 28:Iftoll service is out, what will a customer receive if they try to
place a long distance call (message, busy signal, dead line, etc.
RESPONSE TO REQUEST NO. 28:The customer will hear a recorded announcement
stating "re sorry all circuits are currently busy. Please try your call again later. 208-864
Atlanta." This is the trailer code for Atlanta.
REQUEST NO. 29:Please provide the precise time period during which customers in
Atlanta were out of service in November and December of2005. During this time frame was
local service available even though toll service was not? If so, please provide the dates and times
local service was available.
RESPONSE TO REQUEST NO. 29:Toll service was out from 1 :50pm November 30th
to 10:04am December 7t\ and again from 2:31pm December 22nd to 12:01pm January 4th. To
the Company s knowledge, local service was always available during these times.
REQUEST NO. 30:In accordance with Rule 502 of the Telephone Customer Relations
Rules (TCCR), please provide the written records of trouble reports filed with the Company by
its Idaho customers for the years 2004 and 2005.
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RESPONSE TO REQUEST NO. 30:Attached hereto as Production Response #7.
REQUEST NO. 31:In accordance with Rule No. 503 of the Telephone Customer
Relations Rules (TCCR), please provide the written records of monthly repair service levels for
the years 2004 and 2005 for its Idaho service territory.
RESPONSE TO REQUEST NO. 31:Attached hereto as Production Response #8.
REQUEST NO. 32:Please describe how facilities are configured at the microwave
stations located at James Creek and Trinity. What is the life expectancy ofthe batteries used at
the microwave stations under both optimal conditions and non-optimal conditions?
RESPONSE TO REQUEST NO. 32:The Company has solar panels that charge the
back-up batteries. When the solar panels are covered, due to snow and/or ice, the battery should
provide service for approximately 6 days without sun. New back-up batteries have been recently
installed at James Creek summit. New batteries will be installed at Trinity as soon as conditions
allow.
REQUEST NO. 33:Please provide the Company s maintenance and testing schedule
for the facilities serving Atlanta.
RESPONSE TO REQUEST NO. 33:Once per year in Summer/Fall the Company
inspects all batteries, tower stability, and wiring. The Company looks for any damage that needs
to be repaired. All necessary replacements and repairs are performed at this time.
REQUEST NO. 34:Has the Company determined the feasibility of installing a backup
energy source for the microwave stations?
RESPONSE TO REQUEST NO. 34:Wind turbines, manufactured by Southwest
Windpower of Flagstaff, Arizona, are in the Company s inventory and will be installed during
summer 2006.
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REQUEST NO. 35:In accordance with Rule No. 104 ofthe Telephone Customer
Relations Rules (TCCR), please provide a deposit request form.
RESPONSE TO REQUEST NO. 35:Attached hereto as Production Response #9.
REQUEST NO. 36:In accordance with Rule No. 109 of the Telephone Customer
Relations Rules (TCCR), please provide a deposit receipt.
RESPONSE TO REQUEST NO. 36:Attached hereto as Production Response #10.
REQUEST NO. 37:In accordance with Rule No. 201 of the Telephone Customer
Relations Rules (TCRR), please provide sample bills (one current & one past due).
RESPONSE TO REQUEST NO. 37:Attached hereto as Production Response #11.
REQUEST NO. 38:In accordance with Rule No. 206 of the Telephone Customer
Relations Rules (TCCR), please provide a notice oftransfer of bills.
RESPONSE TO REQUEST NO. 38:The Company does not allow a transfer of
account and/or billing from one customer to another. New service would have to be requested
and an application completed for the customer desiring the service. The existing customer is
responsible for all amounts due.
REQUEST NO. 39:In accordance with Rule No. 207 of the Telephone Customer
Relations Rules (TCCR), please provide sample bills for other services (one current & one past
due).
RESPONSE TO REQUEST NO. 39:Attached hereto as Production Response #12.
REQUEST NO. 40:In accordance with Rule No. 301 of the Telephone Customer
Relations Rules, please provide a notice of denial.
RESPONSE TO REQUEST NO. 40:Attached hereto as Production Response #13.
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REQUEST NO. 41:In accordance with Rule No. 304 of the Telephone Customer
Relations Rules (TCCR), please provide a termination notice.
RESPONSE TO REQUEST NO. 41:Attached hereto as Production Response #14.
REQUEST NO. 42:In accordance with Rule No. 307 of the Telephone Customer
Relations Rules (TCCR), please provide records of oral notices to terminate local exchange
servIce.
RESPONSE TO REQUEST NO. 42:See sample of February 2006 calls attached
hereto as Production Response # 15.
REQUEST NO. 43:In accordance with Rule No. 308 of the Telephone Customer
Relations Rules (TCCR), please provide the Company s medical emergency form.
RESPONSE TO REQUEST NO. 43:Attached hereto as Production Response #16.
REQUEST NO. 44:In accordance with Rule No. 403 of the Telephone Customer
Relations Rules (TCRR), please provide the written records of complaints filed with the
Company for years 2004 and 2005.
RESPONSE TO REQUEST NO. 44:Attached hereto as Production Response #17.
REQUEST NO. 45:In accordance with Rule No. 601 of the Telephone Customer
Relations Rules (TCRR), please provide a directory (copies of appropriate section(s) giving
required information in each directory furnished to local exchange customers in Idaho).
RESPONSE TO REQUEST NO. 45:Attached hereto as Production Response #18.
REQUEST NO. 46:In accordance with Rule No. 602 of the Telephone Customer
Relations Rules (TCRR), please provide a copy of the summary ofPUC Rules (Sample of
summaries provided to customers annually & upon initiation of service and specify how the
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information is provided, e., separate mailing/included in monthly bill/included in telephone
directory).
RESPONSE TO REQUEST NO. 46:Please refer to the Directory attached hereto as
Production Response # 18. Also attached as Production Response # 19 are the recently revised
summary rules; which will be posted in the Company s upcoming Directory. These rules are
also provided upon initiation of new service.
REQUEST NO. 47:In accordance with Rule No. 101 ofthe Telephone Customer
Information Rules (TCIR), please provide a copy of the explanation of rate schedules (samples
of explanation provided to customers annually & upon initiation of service and specify how the
information is provided, e., separate mailing/included in monthly bill/included in telephone
directory).
RESPONSE TO REQUEST NO. 47:The service rates are posted twice per year in the
newspaper and provided upon initiation of new service. See Production Response #20 attached
hereto.
REQUEST NO. 48:In accordance with Rule No. 105 of the Telephone Customer
Information Rules (TCIR), please provide a copy of the notice regarding telephone solicitations.
RESPONSE TO REQUEST NO. 48:Attached hereto as Production Response #21.
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DATED this 15th day of March 2006.
Respectfully submitted
GIVENS PURSLEY LLP
By
RURAL TELEPHONE COMPANY S RESPONSE TO FIRST PRODUCTION REQUEST -
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CERTIFICA TE OF SERVICE
I hereby certify that on this 15th day of March 2006, I served a true and correct copy of
the foregoing by delivering it to the following individuals by the method indicated below
addressed as stated.
Merlin & Judith Lords
O. Box 37
Atlanta, ID 83601
S. Mail
Facsimile
Overnight Mail
Hand Delivery
E-mail
Weldon B. Stutzman
Deputy Attorney General
Idaho Public Utilities Commission
O. Box 83720
Boise, ID 83720-0074
u.S. Mail
Facsimile
Overnight Mail
Hand Delivery
E-mail
(/
RURAL TELEPHONE COMPANY'S RESPONSE TO FIRST PRODUCTION REQUEST -
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Response #1
Case No. RUR-O6-
Answering Customers ' Questions
A FAQ Reference Guide
Foundation (t))
for Rural Service
Foundation
for Rural Service
Answering Customers ' Questions
A FAQ Reference Guide
Telecommunications is BIG NEWS. New charges, billing changes, long-distance competition, the
Internet, broadband services, wireless - and more - are hot topics today! In fact, the industry's billing
processes and practices have become one of America s most baffling - and well-publicized - consumer
issues. And the economic struggles and recent bankruptcies of some large U.S. te1ecom companies
have generated additional concerns and questions.
As a result of new rules and regulations, new services, and new policies, customers are often so
confused that they don t even bother to ask questions anymore. As a community based te1ecom
provider, it is your responsibility to ensure that your customers and communities are "educated
consumers. "
The Foundation for Rural Service is pleased to provide the latest tool produced as part of its
Community Based Telecom Providers, Local Touch Global Reach campaign, "Answering
Customers ' Questions: A FAQ Reference Guide for CSRs and Other Staff." We hope the information
assists NTCA members respond to questions that customers raise. As with all of the campaign
materials, FRS is confident that the FAQ guide can help you position your company as both a telecom
leader committed to quality service and a vital economic partner with your customers and your
community.
As we have learned the hard way, te1ecom is no easy subject for any audience. Most customers are
barely aware - let alone, educated - about the industry, your role in the community, or your importance
in keeping your area economically viable. For these reasons and more, FRS has sought over the past
several years to assist your efforts to educate your customers. We ve designed the Local Touch
Global Reach campaign and this FAQ reference guide to help you tell your story, reconnect with the
people and communities you serve, and inform customers about the connection between their local
te1ecom provider and the economic well-being of the community.
Some Suggested Guidelines
FRS has distributed Answering Customers ' Questions: An FAQ Reference Guide in three formats:
. as a hard-copy booklet;
. and as a read-only PDF and a Word-file document - both included on CD-ROM.
Customer service representatives, as well as other staff members who get questions from customers
and others throughout the community, can utilize the booklet for easy desk-reference. Likewise, the
PDF version is designed to load on your network. Finally, with the Word file, NTCA members can
make use of a "living" document, to download on their own networks for both customer response and
internal educational applications.
FRS developed the FAQ guide for NTCA members as a whole, so the individual questions-and-
answers and the general information in each section are, by definition, generic in nature. As you
review the information, you will note several topics;
g.,
individual state USF charges and slamming;
for which the Word file fonnat will allow you to edit/revise for your specific situation. For example, if
your state does not have a state USF end-user charge, that q-and-a selection is not appropriate in your
case. Likewise, if your state does have USF end-user charges but does not permit te1ecom providers to
recover their assessment from customers, the q-and-a should be revised to communicate that
information to customers. Downloading the Word document onto your own network allows you to
adopt these types of revisions and, hence, makes the guide that much more relevant to your customers.
Similarly, keep in mind that you can strengthen your case significantly by revising - and even
replacing - some of the information with details of your own story. FRS drafted the content to stand
on its own in effectively responding to customer concerns. We emphasize again, however, that
generic" information is by definition less effective than material that is recognizable and meaningful
for your customers. So, where the guide is "generic , FRS strongly urges that your message be
specific " with infonnation about your company, its history, service area, customer demographics
economic situation, etc. Likewise, you should give serious consideration to revising the copy to reflect
such things as your organizational structure (cooperative or locally controlled commercial operation),
size (large or small, relatively speaking), location (rural-remote or more suburban) ... as well as any
other defining characteristic that makes you or your community unique.
Remember, also, that the FAQ content can only convey accurate information about issues as they stood
at the time of production and release by FRS. As NTCA members know all too well
, "
things change
- and in this industry, particularly quickly - so the "snapshot" provided in this document has an
uncertain shelf life. Having the document in Word format allows you to continue to use the guide even
as key issues; SLCs, long-distance, and broadbandlDSL, change.
For more information about these guidelines, the FAQ reference document, or the FRS Community
Based Telecom Providers, Local Touch * Global Reach campaign, call FRS at 703.351.2026, or via
email at 1l0pinskyt!P.ntca.org
;;.
Table of Contents
Top-10 Questions Customers Are Asking
1. What is the federal "subscriber line charge" (SLC)?
2. What is the Federal Universal Service Charge (FUSC)?
3. What is the Federal Universal Service Charge listed on my long-
distance bill? Do all long-distance companies charge the same rate?
4. Why can t I get service from the long-distance company I want? And
why aren t the long-distance rate plans I see advertised available here?
5. What is DSL and what benefits does it offer me?
6. Is all wireless service the same?
7. How is wireless coverage set up, and how does roaming work? If I'm
in my service area, why are their dropped calls and dead spots?
8. There are charges on my bill for services I did not order or authorize
from a company I don t recognize. How can I get these charges
removed from my bill?
9. I understand DSL is not available everywhere. How do I know if I
can get it?
10. I have been billed for long-distance charges from a company I did not
choose as my preferred carrier. What can I do to get these charges
removed from my bill? How can I prevent being slammed?
'I.
Billing Issues
l. I do not recognize a company listed on my bill. Who are they, and
why are they billing me?
2. Why are the charges from each company listed separately on my bill?
3. A company has listed charges on my bill for telephone-related
services that I do not understand, and the description is unclear.
How can I get them explained?
4. There is a statement on my bill that says "This company did not bill
you for services in the previous billing cycle . What does that mean?
5. If I want to dispute a charge that appears on my bill- and don t pay
the charge while I am disputing it - how will I know if my local
service will be disrupted?
6. I am confused about some of the tool free numbers listed on my bill.
Is the actual service provider always the appropriate party for me to
contact?
Q- 7. Are service providers required to list their business address? How
can I contact a provider if I'm not satisfied with the resolution
reached on the phone?
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Monthly Bill Charges - Alphabet Soup
, Local Service Charges
8. What is the basic local service rate and how is it billed?
Surcharges
9. What is the federal "subscriber line charge ? (SLC)
IO. Why did the FCC authorize increases in the SLC?
II. What is the Federal Universal Service Charge?
(FUSC)
12. Where do all the federal SLC and FUSC fees go?
13. What does "universal service" mean to me?
14. How does the universal service support system work?
15. Do all local telephone companies receive universal service
support?
16. What is the (STATE) Universal Service Charge?
17. What does the E 911 charge cover?
18. What is the Local Number Portability (LPN) Charge?
19. What is the Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) Charge?
20. What taxes are included on my bill?
Long Distance Service Charges
21. What is the Federal Universal Service Charge on my long-
distance bill? Do all long distance companies charge the
same rate?
22. My long-distance bill includes a "one-bill" charge? How can
I get my local and long-distance charges on a single bill without
being charged?
23. I'm confused about rates I've been charges for my
long-distance calls? How are my I + calls charged?
Slamming
24. What is slamming?
25. I have been billed for long-distance charges from a company I
did not choose as my preferred carrier. What do I do to get
these charges removed from my bill?
26. What will the RGA do when an unauthorized PIC change
is reported?
27. What does the 30-day absolution period cover?
28. What if I already paid the unauthorized carrier? Can I still get
reimbursed for charges incurred during the fIrSt 30 days?
29. What about the unpaid charges incurred after the 30-day
absolution period?
30. What must the unauthorized carrier do after it receives
notification of a slamming complaint?
31. How can I prevent being slammed?
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.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. 17
......... .......................... ....
1 7
.. . .. . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. . . . . .. ....
I 8
..... ................................. ....................................... ..................................................... .............................
" '"'"
PIC (Preferred Interexchange Carrier)
32. What is a preferred carrier freeze?
, .
"'0
Ordering a PIC Freeze
33. How are freeze orders accepted?
34. Are there separate authorizations required for multiple services?
Cramming
35. What is cramming?
36. I have found charges on my bill for services I did not order or
authorize. How do I get these charges removed from my bill?
37. Are there rules to protect me against cramming and fraud?
A Local Solution to Long-Distance Confusion
38. Why can t I get service from the long-distance company I
want? And, why aren t the long-distance rate plans I see
advertised available here?
39. Why are my long-distance rates so high?
40. Do I have an alternative to the national long-distance
compani~s? Can I continue to get one bill for my local and
long-distance charges?
Broadband Services! High Speed Internet Access
Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)
What is DSL?
How does DSL work over regular telephone lines?
What service benefits and advantages does DSL offer me?
I understand DSL is not available everywhere. How do I know
if I can get it?
Q-45. I have heard that there are a lot of problems with DSL, that
service goes out a lot, and that installation is an issue. Is that
the case here?
Q-41.
42.
Q-43.
44.
46. I understand there are many kinds ofDSL. What are they, and
what do they mean to me?
47. Is DSL the only way I can get high-speed Internet access and
broadband services?
Wireless Services
Q-48. Is all wireless service the same? What's the difference between
analog and digital?
49. Where can I use my wireless phone? How is coverage set up,
and how does roaming work? If I'm in my service area , why
are there dropped calls and dead spots?
50. How does wireless pricing work? Are wireless plans, minutes
and terms similar to those for my wireline (home) service?
Page
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Top-10 Questions Customers Are Asking
1. What is the federal "subscriber line charge
(gLCn
(bill charges)
A. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
requires that local telephone companies recover a
portion of the costs of the facilities we use to connect
your home or business through a monthly assessment
on all residential and business customers. The federal
subscriber line charge" assessment is part of the
FCC's effort to promote a competitive framework for
the te1ecom industry. The federal SLC is a flat
monthly charge assessed directly on your bill. The
SLC does not result in any additional revenue for
local telephone companies.
In July 2002, the federal SLCs for customers of
community based telecom providers increased to
$6.00 monthly for residential and single-line business
customers, and remained as much as. $9.20 per line
for multi-line businesses.
For a more detailed answer, see Q-
2. What is the Federal Universal Service
Charge (FUSC)?
(bill charges)
A. The Federal Universal Service Charge (FUSC), also
authorized by the FCC, is not part of your local
service rate; instead, the charge helps to keep rates
affordable for all Americans, regardless of where they
live. The amount of the FUSC on your monthly bill
depends on the services you order and the number of
telephone lines you have. Generally, the surcharge is
applied per line.
In July 2002, the FCC authorized an increase in the
FUSC to $0.46 per month per line. The federal
Universal Service Fund assists with the costs of
providing "affordable" telecom service to low-income
individuals and to residents in rural, high-cost areas.
In addition, Congress has expanded the program to
help schools, libraries, and rural health care providers
obtain advanced services, such as high-speed Internet
access. All te1ecom service providers contribute to the
support of these universal service programs.
For a more detailed answer, see Q-
3. What is the Federal Universal Service
Charge listed on my long-distance bill? Is
this the same charge as on my local bill?
Do all long-distance companies charge the
same rate?
(long-distance charges)
A. This charge (also called the Federal Universal
Connectivity Fee) is similar to the FUSC for local
service. All telecom providers are required to con-
tribute to the support of federal universal service.
Currently, the federally imposed level for this charge
is approximately 7% of your state-to-state and inter-
national toll charges. In recovering this assessment
most national long-distance companies charge their
customers percentages above the mandatory contribu-
tion level. Some, in fact, charge customers as much as
11.5%. The long-distance affiliates of community
based telecom providers, however, do not exceed the
federally mandated amount - and many do not pass
this charge on to their customers at all.
For a more detailed answer, see Q-
4. Why can t I get service from the long-
distance company I want? And why aren
the long-distance rate plans I see advertised
available here?
(long-distance service)
A. Many customers in rural communities find only frus-
tration when they try to select a long-distance
company, make a "10-10" call, or pick a calling plan
they ve seen advertised. When customers ask for an
explanation, the long-distance companies usually
point to us, the "local" company, as the reason why
certain carriers, services, or advertised calling plans
are not available. We d like to make it clear that we
have no say in a long-distance company s decision to
offer service, rates, or calling plans in our service
area. For a long-distance carrier to provide service
here or to offer you 10-10 calling options, it must
request that we program our switching facilities to
recognize its "identification" code - or particular 10-
10 code. If the long-distance company does not make
the request, we cannot process the call.
Choosing a long-distance calling plan is even more
straightforward. These plans are unique only in their
pricing; there are no technical or service-related issues
that require the local company to play any role at all
in a long-distance company s decision to make a
calling plan available to certain customers or in
certain areas. The only issues in this regard are the
long-distance company s willingness to offer its plan
wherever and to whomever it chooses, and its
obligation to offer non-discriminatory rates.
For a more detailed answer, see Q-
5. What is DSL and what benefits does it
offer me?
(broadband DSL service/high-speed Internet
access)
A. DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) technology provides
high-bandwidth (high-speed) network connections to
individual homes and businesses. DSL uses the same
line as that for regular telephone service, but it can
offer the higher data speeds because of the digital
modem.The digital modem technology "converts
your telephone line to use the additional, data capaci-
ty. In a nutshell, DSL technology offers three major
advantages over dial-up Internet access or data serv-
ice: much higher speeds, a constant "always-on
connection, and talk-and surf capability. What's caus-
ing all the excitement is, first of all speed. DSL can
deliver more than lOO times the network performance
of a standard analog (dial-up) modem. The second
major advantage is
~.
DSL is "" all the time
so users do not have to dial their Internet service
provider each time they want to "access" the Internet.
Finally, with DSL, you don t need a second line
keep your line "open." DSL lets you talk and surf at
the same time, on the same line.
For a more detailed answer, see Q-41-Q-
6. Is all wireless service the same?
(wireless service)
A. Currently, wireless service is delivered either through
analog (the "older" type) or digital ("newer" types).Analog sends the voice signal using radio waves
while digital converts the voice signals to computer
language (ones and zeros), transmitted through elec-
tronic pulses and reassembled after delivery.
Converting to digitized voice signals also allows com-
puter processing, which eliminates much of the static
background noise. As a result, digital wireless offers
clearer, more secure calls and usually includes more
features than analog. Currently, wireless coverage the
geographic area where you can use your wireless
phone, is broader with analog technology - most of
the country, including rural areas, has analog cover-
age. Digital has developed more recently, so coverage
tends to be in more populated, highly traveled areas.
As wireless carriers upgrade their networks to expand
their coverage, however, much of the nation should be
accessible to digital service in the near future.
For a more detailed answer, see Q-
7. How is wireless coverage set up, and how
does roaming work? If I'm in my service
area, why are there dropped calls and
dead spots?
(wireless services)
A. The area where you can make and receive wireless
calls is determined by where your carrier has a license
and where it has built out its network. You should
have a "coverage" map of the geographic area served
by your wireless carrier. When you travel beyond
your area, you still may be able to use your wireless
service - provided by the carrier in the area where
you are travelling. This is called roaming. Even if a
wireless carrier has not constructed towers and built
out its network, roaming can allow its customers to be
able to use another carrier s network. If your wireless
carrier has a "roaming agreement" with another carri-
er and if your wireless phone allows roaming, you can
connect with the other network to use your wireless
service (but roaming usually requires additional cost).
When you re roaming, your handset electronically
registers to alert your carrier where you are and that
you re making use ofthe roaming arrangement.
Even within your coverage area, limitations in facili-
ties and capacity sometimes can cause problems in
call completion. If the carrier s network fails to hand
off calls in progress as a customer travels from one
coverage area to another, a "dropped call" results. Too
many callers using the network at the same time can
strain capacity, so others will get a busy signal when
they try to connect. Terrain also affects coverage
causing "dead" spots --' areas where service may not
be available because the signal between the handset
and the tower is blocked or impeded.
Coverage is also affected by the type of wireless
phone you have. Handsets can be single-mode
connect to either an analog or digital network, but not
both, or dual-mode work with both analog and
digital. Obviously, the more networks your handset
can connect with, the broader your coverage.
Generally, dual-mode or digital phones will
automatically switch to analog in areas where digital
service is not available; likewise, digital technology
can switch a call to analog - and maintain voice
quality - if the caller travels outside a digital service
area. However, the reverse does not hold: analog
phones do not work on a digital system. Digital
wireless requires a digital-capable handset.
For a more detailed answer, see Q-
8. There are charges onmy bill for services I
did not order or authorize from a company
I don t recognize. How can I get these
charges removed from my bill?
(bill charges, cramming)
A. Telemarketers, con artists, and other criminals are
using telephone numbers for cramming, the
unauthorized, deceptive, and fraudulent posting of
charges in the billing data sent to local telephone
companies for billing. Some service providers do not
bill their customers directly, so they contract with
local companies to bill for them, and we use that
information to bill on their behalf. Cramming refers to
charges customers fmd on their bills for services they
did not authorize, order, or receive. Because the
billing process is automated and we do not have the
authority to screen the data, we rely strictly on the
information sent to us. The charges commonly found
in cramming abuse can be for a variety of things; e.
voice mail, calling cards, 900 services, sweepstakes
and other marketing offers. In addition, you may find
charges listed for legitimate services, but ones you
did not order or authorize, as well as for "fees
memberships
" "
usage " or other services described
only in general terms - or not at all. Cramming
charges are often difficult to identify and can be
detected only if you carefully review your bill
each month.
If there is a charge on your bill that is unauthorized or
fraudulent, you don t have to pay it. But you have
to notice it! If you fmd a charge on your bill for
something you didn't ask for or authorize, call the
company that charged you. Ask for an explanation of
the charge and request adjustments or refunds for
incorrect or unauthorized items. Company
information can often be hard to get, so you should
also call us. We have procedures in place to help you
respond to incorrect charges listed on your bills.
For a more detailed answer, see Q-l and 36-
9. I understand DSL is not available
everywhere. How do I know if I can get it?
(broadband DSL servicelhigh-speed Internet
access)
A. Right now, DSL is not offered everywhere;
availability is determined by how close a customer is
to the nearest exchange - or switching equipment-
that connects the homes and businesses in that service
area to our central office. DSL technology works only
over a limited physical distance: At maximum, DSL
runs about 18.000 feet (3.5 miles)from our central
office or remote switch that serves your area. In
addition, some variations of DSL technology restrict
these physical distances even further. The limit can be
as low as 1 000 feet (0.2 miles), depending on the
actual transmission speeds. In addition to the length
restrictions, phone lines must be "qualified" for DSL
service. Even if the connection point is less than
000 feet from the equipment, a particular line must
also possess sufficient electrical-quality
characteristics. Many technical details, outside the
customer s control, determine whether a telephone
line is of sufficient "quality" to support DSL.
For a more detailed answer, see Q-
10. I have been billed for long-distance charges
from a company I did not choose as my
preferred carrier. What can I do to get
these charges removed from my bill? How
can I
prevent being slammed?
(long-distance service)
You have the right to choose any certified long-dis-
tance carrier that offers you service and to change
your "preferred" carrier (pIC) whenever you wish.
Slamming is the unauthorized and illegal switching
of a customer s preferred long-distance company. If
you ve been slammed, you have the right to be
switched back to your preferred carrier at no cost.
Customers who believe they ve been slammed;
that there has been an unauthorized change in their
PIC selection, should inform us immediately.
To prevent being slammed, always check your bill
carefully. If you find charges from a long-distance
company that you don t recognize or didn't choose
or authorize as your preferred carrier, chances are
you ve been slammed. Contact us, and we ll help
you resolve the problem. You ve probably received
telemarketing calls or promotional mailings "urging
you to switch or "verifying" that you have switched.
If you don t want to change your long-distance
carrier, tell the caller or respond to the mailing that
you don t want their service. To be safe, call us to
confinn you re still being served by the company
you ve selected. Remember, it is against the law for
any long-distance carrier to submit a change of your
selection of a provider that does not comply with
prescribed procedures. In more basic tenns, the FCC
has issued specific rules to fight slamming. As a
service to customers, we provide an extra level of
slamming protection for you - in the fonn of a
preferred carrier freeze."
For a more detailed answer, see Q-25 and Q-
Billing Issues-
Truth in Billing:
Understanding Your Bill
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
has a number of requirements and standards that
community based te1ecom providers, other local
telephone companies, and most te1ecom companies
must follow when billing their customers. These
rules are commonly referred to as "Truth in Billing
(TIB). The FCC established these TIB rules to help
consumers better understand how they are billed for
te1ecom services and to combat the rising incidence
of slamming, cramming, and other telephone fraud
and abuse.
In summary, the rules are designed to ensure that
your bill is clearly organized and that you can
identify the provider associated with each charge. In
addition, your bill must include a clear description of
all charges and list a toll-free number for you to call
for further explanation.
I do not recognize a company listed on
my bill. Who are they, and why are they
billing me?
Your bill must include the name and toll-free tele-
phone number of any company that has charged
you for its services, along with the charges for
those services. If you don t recognize the compa-
ny or have questions about the services for which
you ve been billed, call the company to ask for
more infonnation about the services.
Some service providers do not bill their customers
directly, so they must contract with local compa-
nies to bill for them. These service providers send
us your usage data electronically, and we use that
infonnation to bill on their behalf. Increasingly,
te1emarketers and scam artists use customers
phone numbers to post unauthorized and fraudu-
lent charges in the data sent to us for billing.
These charges can be for many things, but the
result is that the charges are included in the
billing data. We have no way to monitor its accu-
racy. The billing rules are intended to make sure
that the fonnat of your bill helps you more easily
identify any unauthorized or fraudulent charges.
Why are the charges from each company
listed separately on my bill?
The TIB rules require that we organize your bill
so that charges from each company billing you for
service appear separately. For example, if you
have chosen one long-distance company for your
in-region (intraLATA) long-distance calls and
another for your out-of-region and state-to-state
(interLATA) calls, your bill will list the calls with
each company separately.
A company has listed charges on my bill
for telephone-related services that I do
not understand, and the description is
unclear. How can I get them explained?
You may find charges on your bill that are not
from your local company. The name and toll-free
number of the company charging you for tele-
phone-related services is listed in the section
where those charges appear. You should call that
company and ask for an explanation. You can also
dispute the charges and request that the company
remove them from your bill. As your local com-
pany, we remind you that as part of our service
commitment, our business office is always avail-
able if you have questions about your bill. If you
have any difficulty in contacting the service
providers listed on your bill, or if you re not satis-
fied with the response they give you, we' help
you resolve the problem.
There is a statement on my bill that says,
This company did not bill you for
services in the previous billing cycle.
What does that mean?
In its rules, the FCC ordered that customers be
notified of a "new" service provider any time a
bill includes charges from a company that did not
bill the customer for services in the previous
billing cycle. However, such notification applies
only to "subscribed" services; when a service
provider has a continuing relationship with a cus-
tomer and likely places regular or periodic
charges on your bill. For example, long-distance
surcharges, voice mail, Internet access, and other
services that continue until you tenninate them
are subject to the notification rule. On the other
hand, services billed on a per-transaction basis
such as directory assistance, dial-around (10-10)
toll calls, and other "non-recurring" pay-per-call
services, are not subject to the notification
requirements.
If I want to dispute a charge that appears
on my bill - and don t pay the charge
while I'm disputing it - how willi know
my local service will be disrupted?
We identify all charges on your bill that, if not
paid, could result in the disconnection of your
basic local service; such services are listed as
deniable" charges. Our (STATE PDq designates
the individual charges we must classify as
deniable " and those charges are identified on
your bill. Non-payment of other non-deniable
charges can result in the tennination of that
specific service, but will not lead to the
disconnection of basic local service. If you don
recognize the charges, you should call the
toll-free number listed on the bill within 60 days
to ensure there is no interruption of the service
in question.
am confused about some of the toll-free
numbers listed on my bill. Is the actual
service provider always the appropriate
party for me to contact?
Some service providers bill you directly. Others
use third parties, known as "billing agents" or
aggregators " to bill for them. Thus, the actual
service provider is not always the appropriate
party to contact if you. have questions or
problems. In fact, some service providers have
contracted with third-party billing agents or
aggregators just to handle inquiry and dispute
resolution of the charges placed on your bill.
The rules require that the toll-free number listed
on your bill as the "inquiry contact" - regardless
of whether it's for the actual provider, a billing
agent, or an aggregator - must connect you to
someone who has "sufficient knowledge and
authority" to resolve account inquiries and
requests for adjustment. The FCC allows the use
of inquiry contacts because of consumer concerns
about the complexity of their bills and because of
increased fraud and abuse. Inquiry contacts are
intended to help consumers become more
educated about their bills and the billing process.
Are service providers required to list their
business address? How can I contact a
provider if I'm not satisfied with the
resolution reached on the phone?
Service providers are not required to include their
business address on each telephone bill for the
receipt of consumer inquiries and complaints.
However, they are required to make their business
address available to consumers on request through
their toll-free number.
Monthly Bill Charges - Alphabet Soup
Local Service Charges
What is the basic local service rate and
how is it billed?
In most cases, the basic local service rate covers
your dial tone - the service connection that allows
you to make and receive local (non-toll) calls. In
some states, local service is also authorized on a
measured (usage) basis. Failure to pay the basic
local service rate and applicable taxes and fees
will result in disconnection and loss of service.
Local telephone service is billed one month in
advance - and is usually due within 10-15 days of
receipt. Charges for usage, on the other hand, are
billed after a particular service; local meas-
ured service, long-distance calls, calling-card
wireless, etc. is used.
Surcharges
What is the federal "subscriber line
charge" (SLC)?
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
requires that local telephone companies recover a
portion of the costs of the facilities we use to con-
nect your home or business for services through a
monthly assessment on all residential and busi-
ness customers. Commonly known as the federal
subscriber line charge " this assessment is part of
the FCC's effort to promote a competitive frame-
work for the U.S. telecom industry. The federal
SLC is a flat monthly charge assessed directly on
your bill.
The FCC established the federal SLC as a way to
reduce the "access charges" paid by long-distance
companies but still compensate local companies
for the use of our networks by those carriers to
gain "access" to their customers. Prior to the
establishment of the SLC, long-distance carriers
were assessed a per-minute "access" charge to use
our facilities, but the FCC changed the way we
charge for that cost. For purposes of competition
the FCC decided to target end-user customers
more directly for these costs. As a result, the
SLCs result in no additional revenue for local
telephone companies.
In January 2002, the federal SLCs for customers
of community based telecom providers increased
from $3.50 to$5.00 monthly for residential and
single-line business customers, and from $6.00 to
as much as $9.20 per line for multi-line business-
es. Residential and single-line business SLCs
increased again last July to $6., and are sched-
uled to rise again, to $6., in July 2003.
Following these increases, the SLC levels of com-
munity based te1ecom providers are now the same
as those charged by larger, urban companies.
10. Why did the FCC authorize increases in
the federal SLC?
Ai; part of its effort to promote competition, the
FCC reviewed the rules and regulations that gov-
ern the telephone industry and decided to
rebalance rates and charges. The SLC increases
reflect the FCC's belief that end-user customers
should be more directly responsible for the costs
necessary to provide them service and that the
access charges" paid by long-distance companies
should be reduced. In 2000, the FCC authorized
the first in a series of SLC increases for the large
local companies. Reasoning that rural customers
should pay the same levels of subscriber line
charges as urban customers, the FCC expanded the
SLC changes to community based telecom
providers in 2001.
11. What is the Federal Universal Service
Charge (FUSC)?
The "Federal Universal Service Charge" (FUSC),
also authorized by the FCC, is not part of your
local service rate; the charge helps to keep rates
affordable for all Americans, regardless of where
they live. The amount of the FUSC on your
monthly bill depends on the services you order
and the number of telephone lines you have.
Generally, the surcharge is applied per line. In
July 2002, the FCC authorized an increase in the
FUSC to $0.46 per month per line.
The federal government has established national
programs to support universal telephone service
The federal Universal Service Fund assists with
the costs of providing "affordable" telecommuni-
cations service to low-income individuals and to
residents in rural, high-cost areas. In addition
Congress has expanded the program to help
schools, libraries, and rural health care providers
obtain leading.:edge services, such as high-speed
Internet access. All providers of te1ecom services
contribute to the support of these universal service
programs.
12. Where do the federal SLC
and FUSC fees go?
The federal SLC and FUSC fees go to federal
administrative agencies created to oversee and
manage the funds. The federal SLC fees are re-
distributed to local telephone companies based on
our specific costs. These funds enable us, and
other local companies and cooperatives in hard-to-
serve, high-cost areas, to recover some of the costs
of the facilities we use to connect your home or
business. The FUSC fees allow us to recover our
contribution assessments for the federal universal
service programs. A portion of the funds collected
from the Federal Universal Service Charge is
distributed to keep rates in high-cost rural areas at
or near the national average.
13. What does "universal service
mean to me?
For almost 70 years, the nation has made a policy
commitment to make telephone service available
to as many Americans as possible - rich or poor
rural or urban. When Congress passed the
Communications Act in 1934, it established the
concept of universal service as a principle to pro-
mote the development and reach of the national
telephone network by distributing costs across
various services and users in order to connect all
segments of the American public.
Universal service recognizes the economic reality
that the cost of providing telephone service in
rural areas is significantly higher than in well-
populated, urban parts of the country, but that the
nation as a whole benefits from a network that
connects to as many Americans as possible. We
can look on universal service as a system by
which everyone benefits because everyone else
has a telephone.Because of universal service
independent companies serving high-cost rural
areas have been assured of appropriate recogni-
tion of their costs, and Americans have been
assured of quality telephone service at reasonable
rates, no matter where they live.
14. How does the universal service support
system work?
Traditionally, long-distance carriers paid access
charges to local companies for "access" to the
local network to enable customers to make or
receive long-distance calls. These access-charge
dollars reflect a legitimate business cost
compensating local companies for the long-
distance carriers' use of our networks. Universal
service support and access charge revenues are
essential to community based te1ecom providers.
These programs help companies serving rural
areas keep local rates affordable and comparable
to rates in urban areas where the population is
more densely clustered and costs are not as high.
We continue to rely on this support today, given
the costs of the equipment and facilities necessary
to make new and advanced services available to
rural customers.
15. Do all local telephone companies receive
universal service support?
, all local companies do not qualify for this
support. While most telecom providers contribute
to universal service, companies that serve large
urban markets are not likely to qualify for support
from the federal Universal Service Fund.
Companies that serve large cities such as
Chicago, for example, and other urban areas
usually do not qualify for universal service
support. Thus, through their SLC and FUSC
payments, customers of the large urban-based
companies help keep local rates "comparable" and
affordable" for those served by community based
providers and other rural companies. This mutual
social benefit is the very objective that universal
service was designed to achieve.
For Companies in States with a State USF
End-User Charge, see Q-
16. What is the (STATE) Universal
Service Charge?
In addition to the federal programs, some states
collect fees to support their own universal service
programs. Like other telecom providers in
(STATE), we collect fees for the (STATE)
Universal Service Fund that is administered by
the (STATE PUC). The (STATE) Universal
Service Charge supports universal service pro-
grams within our state. Most, if not all, telecom
providers in the state contribute to the (STATE)
Universal Service Fund to help ke~ basic local
rates affordable for everyone in the state.
The (STATE PUC) has authorized telecom
providers to recover their universal service contri-
butions through a customer charge. The (PUC)
uses the (STATE) Universal Service Fund to
ensure that community based companies in high-
cost areas have sufficient financial sup'port
keep basic local rates affordable for aU (STATE)
citizens. As with the federal support program, the
(STATE) Universal Service Fund is distributed to
individual companies based on the costs we incur
in serving our particular areas of the state.
17. What does the E 911 charge cover?
The E-911 charge is a statellocal government
charge to fund emergency-911 services, such as
fire and rescue.
18. What is the Local Number Portability
(LNP) Charge?
The Telecommunications Act of 1996 requires
that telecom providers allow customers to keep
their existing telephone numbers when they
switch from one service provider to another.
The Local Number Portability (LNP) charge is
a fixed, monthly charge established by the FCC
to allow local companies to recover some of our
costs to provide telephone number "portability"
to customers.
19. What is the Telecommunications Relay
Services ITRS) Charge?
Local telephone companies offer
Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS) to
help hearing- or speech-impaired individuals
communicate via the telephone. TRS is required
by Title IV of the Americans with Disabilities Act
and to the extent possible, must be "functionally
equivalent" to standard telephone services.
Communications assistants (CAs) relay the con-
tent of calls between users of special text
telephones (TTYs) and users of traditional tele-
phones. For example, a TTY user can use the
phone by calling a TRS provider (or relay center),
where a CA will place the call to the voice user
and relay the conversation by transcribing spoken
content for the TTY user and reading text aloud
for the voice user.
Costs for intrastate TRS (that is, TRS calls made
within a state) are paid by the individual states.
Generally, states recover the TRS costs through a
small assessment on all telephone customers in
the state.
20. What taxes are included on my bill?
Your bill includes the 3% federal excise tax levied
by the federal government that applies to all
te1ecom services, not just local service. This tax
dates back to 1898 when it was enacted to finance
the Spanish-American War. In addition, many
state, local, and/or municipal governments impose
taxes on telecom services and, if applicable, these
taxes are listed on your bill. In some states, these
charges may appear as a "gross receipts" or
franchise" tax.
Long Distance Service Charges
21. What is the Federal Universal Service
Charge on my long-distance bill? Is this
the same charge as on my local bill? Do
all long-distance companies charge the
same rate?
This charge (also called the Federal Universal
Connectivity Fee or Carrier Universal Service
Charge) is similar to the FUSC for local service.
All telecom providers, including long-distance
companies, are required to contribute to the sup-
port of federal universal service. Currently, the
federally imposed level for this charge is approxi-
mately 7% of your state-to-state and international
toll charges.
In recovering this assessment, most national 10ng-
distance companies charge their customers
percentages above the mandatory federal level.
Some, in fact, charge customers as much as
11.5% of their monthly charges. On the other
hand, the long-distance subsidiaries of community
based telecom providers do not exceed the feder-
ally mandated amount - and many do not pass
this charge on to their customers at all.
22.My long-distance bill includes a "one-
bill" charge? How can I get my local and
long-distance charges on a single bill
without being charged?
Some long-distance companies charge as much as
$1.50 per month to include long-distance charges
on the same bill as local charges. These
companies include this charge in the billing
information they submit to the local company
with whom they ve contracted to bill for them.
A local company that bills for a long-distance
company does not authorize a single-bill fee.
Some local companies still bill for AT&T, and in
those cases, customers can continue to get both
charges on one bill - though AT&T mandates the
one" or "combined" bill charge in many areas.
Other carriers;
g.,
MC! and Sprint, usually bill
on their own, so a "combined" bill is not an
option. Because of recent developments in long-
distance billing, many community based telecom
providers no longer have billing relationships
with AT&T. Thus, AT&T directly bills its
customers, and the long-distance calls those
customers make are included on a separate
AT&T bill.
Many community based telecom providers also
offer long-distance service. Customers who want
their local and long-distance charges on one
combined bill must select their local, long-
distance provider as their preferred carrier. Long
distance service provided by community based
companies generally offer rates and plans
comparable to those of the national carriers. At
the same time, community based companies offer
the advantage of a long-distance alternative closer
to home - with service from people you ~P:W
and trust.
23. I'm confused about the rates I've been
charged for my long-distance calls? How
are my 1 + calls charged?
Your bill lists charges for the individual
long-distance (Dia1l) calls you ve made using the
long-distance company you ve chosen as your
preferred, 1 + carrier. Long distance rates differ
significantly depending on the type of call you
make; out of region (state-to-state) or
in-region; interLATA or intraLATA. Also, calls
are generally priced based on duration and time-
of-day. Most long-distance companies have "basic
rate" service (no calling plan) with rates that are
much higher than those in their calling plans
which offer reduced per-minute rates, but require
a monthly "buy-" fee that remains constant
regardless of the number of 1 + calls a
customer makes.
Slamming
The FCC has shifted the responsibility for
investigation and resolution of customer complaints
from the long-distance companies to state regulatory
commissions - if a state commission declines, the
FCC itself assumes responsibility. All carriers, local
and long-distance alike, must comply with the rules
on preferred carrier changes which apply to both
local (in areas where there is competition) and
long-distance carriers.
The FCC gives states the option of administering the
preferred carrier change rules. The state can do so
either through the state regulatory commission or
other agency charged with resolving unauthorized
changes. Because either the state or the FCC may be
the administrator, the rules refer to the responsible
agency as the "relevant governmental agency (RGA).
Slamming Unauthorized PIC
\t:fPrejerred Interexchange Carrier) Changes
:fj;;
~: .. .:;",,;'
,(i)-24.What IS slamming.
You have the right to choose any certified long-
distance carrier that offers you service and to
change your "preferred" carrier (PIC) whenever
you wish. Slamming is the unauthorized and
illegal switching of a customer s preferred 10ng-
distance company. If you ve been slammed, you
have the right to be switched back to your
preferred carrier at no cost.
25. I have been billed for long-distance
charges from a company I did not choose
as my preferred carrier. What do I do to
get these charges removed from my bill?
Customers who believe they ve been slammed;
that there has been an unauthorized change in
c.. their PIC selection, should inform us immediately.
Once we receive notification of an unauthorized
PIC change, we will do the following:
18 Notify you that there is a 3D-day absolution
n.eriod and that you should not pay those charges
. on your bill.
. Refer you to the RGA (state regulatory
commission or FCC Consumer Information
Bureau, whichever applies).
. Immediately notify your authorized carrier;
your preferred carrier prior to the alleged
slamming, and identify the unauthorized carrier.
. Immediately notify the unauthorized carrier; i.e.
the current PIC as a result of the switch, and
identify the authorized carrier.
NOTE: NTCA members should make available to their
CSRs the telephone number of the PUG or RGA
(if different), or the FCCs Consumer Information
Bureau (if applicable).
26. What will the RGA do when an
unauthorized PIC change is reported?
The FCC rules require that:
. Any carrier informed by a customer of an unau-
thorized PIC change must direct the customer to
the relevant governmental agency (RGA).
. Upon receiving a complaint, the RGA will notify
the alleged unauthorized carrier and order that the
carrier remove from the customer s bill all unpaid
charges for the first 3D days after the unauthorized
change (slam) took place, pending determination
of whether an unauthorized change has
actually occurred.
. Within 3D days of notification, the alleged unau-
thorized carrier must provide to the RGA valid
proof of verification of the customer s PIC
change, which must comply with the FCC'
authorization and verification rules.
. Failure by the carrier to respond or provide
proof of verification will be presumed to be clear
and convincing evidence of an unauthorized
change (slam).
. If the RGA determines that an unauthorized
change (slam) has occurred, it will order the
unauthorized carrier to comply with the 3D-day
absolution rule and/or the reimbursement rules.
27. What does the 30-day absolution
period cover?
The 3D-day absolution period refers to the first 30
days after an unauthorized PIC change (slam) has
been made. The customer is not responsible for
any charges during that period, as long as the
charges have not been paid. If the customer has
already paid the charges, the reimbursement rules
apply (see next question). Any local telephone
company, unauthorized long-distance carrier, or
authorized long-distance carrier receiving a report
of an unauthorized change must infonn the
customer of the 30-day absolution period.
The alleged unauthorized carrier may challenge
the validity of a complaint of an unauthorized
change, but.it must remove unpaid charges from a
customer s bill, whether or not it challenges the
allegation. Should the RGA investigation indicate
that the PIC change was authorized, the charges
will be reinstated.
28. What if I already paid the unauthorized
carrier? Can I still get reimbursed for
charges incurred during the first
30 days?
If it is detennined that an unauthorized change
(slam) has occurred and the customer has already
made payment to the unauthorized carrier for
charges applicable to the first 30 days, the cus-
tomer is entitled to a refund equal to 50% of the
charges paid.The authorized carrier must remit
the 50% refund to the customer within 10 days
receiving payment from the unauthorized carrier.
The customer has the option of requesting that the
authorized carrier re-bill the unauthorized charges
at the authorized carrier s rate. In either case,
however, the customer will actually receive the
refund only if the unauthorized carrier remits the
funds to the authorized carrier.
29. What about unpaid charges incurred after
the 30-day absolution period?
If the customer has charges from an unauthorized
carrier for calls made after the 30-day absolution
period and for which payment has not been made
the unauthorized carrier must remove the charges
from the bill and forward the billing infonnation
to the authorized carrier. The authorized carrier
will bill the customer for unpaid calls carried by
the unauthorized carrier after the 30-day absolu-
tion period, either at its own rate or at a rate equal
to 50% of the unauthorized carrier s rate. If the
authorized carrier chooses to bill the calls at the
50% rate, the customer has the right to reject that
method and request the authorized rate.
30. What must the unauthorized carrier do
after it receives notification of a
slamming complaint?
Under the rules, the alleged unauthorized carrier
must do the following:
. Inform the customer of the 30-day
absolution period.
. Refer the customer to the state RGA or, if
appropriate, the FCC Consumer
Information Bureau.
Remove the unpaid charges from the
customer s bill.
. Refer the complaint to the RGA for resolution.
. Provide proof of verification, if available, to the
RGA within 30 days of notification of the
complaint, or sooner if required by state rule.
. Depending on the resolution of the complaint
by the RGA, comply with all relevant liability
rules, absolution procedures, and
reimbursement procedures.
r X
31. How can I prevent being slammed?
First, always check your bill carefully. If you fmd
charges from a long-distance company that you
don t recognize or didn't choose or authorize as
your preferred carrier, chances are you ve been
slammed.Contact us, and we ll help you resolve
the problem. You ve probably received telemar-
keting calls or promotional mailings "urging" you
to switch or "verifying" you have switched. If you
don t want to change your long-distance carrier
tell the caller or respond to the mailing that you
don t want their service. To be safe, call us to
confinn you re still being served by the long-dis-
tance company you ve chosen.
Remember, it is against the law for any carrier to
submit a change of your selection of a service
provider that does not comply with prescribed
procedures. In more basic tenus, the FCC has
issued specific rules to discourage slamming. You
should note, however, that these same rules pro-
hibit local telephone companies from verifying
the change orders submitted by long-distance car-
riers. As a service to customers, we provide an
extra level of slamming protection for you - in
the fonn of a "preferred carrier freeze.
) 'i'
\ I
PIC (Preferred Interexchange Carrier)
Freezes
Most community based telecom providers offer
customers protection from slamming and unauthorized
changes in their long-distance company; that is by
choosing a PIC (Preferred lnterexchange Carrier)
Freeze. By notifying us that you wish to freeze your
long-distance company or companies (if you have
sel~ted one company as your interLATA (out-of-
region) PIC and another for your intraLATA (in-
regipn) PIC), you can avoid being slammed or
S1l#:~g an unauthorized change.
If you request a PIC freeze on your long-distance
service, your preferred carrier cannot be changed
~J.lt our direct authorization, either written or
~:There is no charge for this service - all you
do is sign a PIC Freeze form.If you d like to
vantage of this protection, just call our business
~d a Customer Service Representative will
hat is a preferred carrier freeze?
J'p prevent slamming, local telephone companies
. ffer a preferred carrier (pIC) freeze, a service
, at enables you to prevent any changes being
~ ade in your selection of Ii "preferred" long-
ltistance provider, unless you fIrst gives us
~'press consent to lift the freeze. Local companies
~e PIC freezes available to customers
. ardless of the company selected as the
. erred long-distance carrier, and must comply
th various requirements on the materials and
. ouncement we send about PIC freezes. In
dition to specific information about any charges
. :tbe freeze, we must also include a clear
lanation and description of the specific
. cedures necessary to lift the freeze.
omers must request separate PIC freezes for:
in-region (intraLATAJintrastate) long-distance
, and (2) state-to-state
rstate/interLATA) and international10ng-dis-
service. We must obtain separate
rizations for each service for which you
st a freeze.
Ordering PIC Freeze
33. How are freeze orders accepted?
The FCC requires that customers be able to
impose (or lift) a PIC freeze by contacting their
local telephone company. Local companies may
not accept freeze orders from a carrier on your
behalf. You can make a PIC change and a PIC
freeze at the same time, but in such cases, we
must verify both your carrier change and
freeze requests.
34. Are separate authorizations required for
multiple services?
Yes. Separate authorizations are required for each
service for which you request a PIC freeze. You
have the option of using any authorization and
verification method allowed by the FCC;
written Letter of Authorization (LOA), third-party
verification, or Internet/online LOA.
Cramming
35. What is cramming?
Telephone numbers are becoming more like
account numbers. Long-distance companies and
other te1ecom providers that do not bill customers
themselves contract with local companies to bill
for them. These companies send the billing infor-
mation to us electronically,. and we use the data to
bill customers on their behalf.
Telemarketers, con artists, and other criminals fre-
quently use phone numbers for cramming, the
unauthorized, deceptive, and fraudulent posting of
charges in the billing data sent to local telephone
companies. In essence, cramming refers to
charges customers find on their bills for services
they did not authorize, order, or receive. Because
the billing process is automated and we do not
have the authority to screen the data, we rely
strictly on the information sent to us.
The charges commonly found in cramming abuse
can be for a variety of things; voice mail
calling cards, personal 800 numbers, 900 services
sweepstakes, and other marketing offers. In addi-
tion, you may find charges listed for legitimate
services, but ones you did not order or authorize,
as well as for "fees
" "
memberships,
" "
usage " or
other services described only in general tenDS - or
not at all. Cramming charges are often difficult to
identify and can be detected only if you carefully
review your bill each month.
36.I have found charges on my bill for
services I did not order or authorize.
How do I get these charges removed
from my bill?
If there is a charge on your bill that is unautho-
rized or fraudulent, you don t have to pay it. But
u do have to notice it! If you fmd a charge on
your bill for something you didn't ask for or
authorize, call the company that charged you. Ask
for an explanation of the charge and request
adjustments or refunds for incorrect or unautho-
rized items. Since company information can often
be hard to get, you should also call us. We have
procedures in place to help you respond to incor-
rect charges listed on your bills.
37. Are there rules in place to protect
me against cramming and fraud?
Yes, the FCC has issued rules known as "Truth-
in-Billing" guidelines. The FCC is trying to
combat the growing problem of cramming abuse
as well as help customers become more educated
consumers. The FCC clearly believes that cus-
tomers need to be more diligent and responsible
in reviewing their bills, and it intends "to aid cus-
tomers in understanding their bills and to provide
them with the tools they need to make informed
choices in the market for telecommunications
service." The rules require service providers to
clearly organize their bills and to comply with the
following requirements:
. The bill must clearly identi:fY the name of the
service provider associated with each charge.
When two or more service providers appear on
the same bill, the charges must be separated
company, and bills must include clear and
conspicuous notification of any new
service providers.
. Charges listed on the bill must be accompanied by
a brief, non-misleading, plain-language descrip-
tion of the services rendered. The description
must be sufficiently clear in presentation and spe-
cific enough to enable customers to accurately
assess that the billed services correspond to those
they requested and received, and that the charges
assessed are consistent with customers' under-
standing of the quoted rates.
. The bill must contain clear and conspicuous dis-
closure of any information that customers need to
make inquiries about, or contest, the charges. A
toll-free number must be displayed for customers
to inquire or dispute any charge. A company may
list a toll-free number for a billing agent or other
third-party, provided that such party is able to
answer questions about the account and is author-
ized to resolve consumer complaints on the
carrier s behalf.
Long Distance Service
tocal Solution to Long-Distance
nfusion
38.Why can t I get service from the
long-distance company I want? And, why
aren t the long-distance rate plans I see
advertised available here?
your local, community based telecom provider
make it a practice to communicate with you about
changes taking place in the telephone industry
ring your service. Probably no service is more
ing than long-distance. Issues continue to arise
long-distance that can seriously affect you. The
~tiona110ng-distance companies are promoting
ticies that may place you - and customers of all
hnnunity based companies - at severe
. vantage. And when you ask why, these 10ng-
, ce carriers usually blame us. So, we want to
ve you a better explanation of the issues.
With many national long-distance companies, you
simply "can t get there from here." Many cus-
tomers in rural communities - and not just here in
our area - fmd only frustration when they try to
select a long-distance company, make a "10-10"
call (10-10-321 , for example), or pick a calling
plan they ve seen advertised on TV or in the
newspaper. When customers ask for an explana-
tion, the long-distance companies usually point to
, the "local" company, as the reason why certain
carriers, services, or advertised calling plans are
not available.
me local telephone companies still provide billin
ollection services for the long-distance
ames. Traditionally, we did this primarily
. use it's what our customers wanted - to get the
venience of one consolidated bill for all their
hone-related services, rather than separate bills
each company. However, competition and the
wing problems in long-distance for rural
, mers changed the dynamics for these billing
gements. Now, many local companies no longer
, for the long-distance companies or other service
viders. In fact, the practical convenience of "one
" could soon become extinct.
As your local telecom provider, we d like to make
it clear that we have no say in a long-distance
company s decision to offer service, rates, or call-
ing plans in our service area. For a long-distance
carrier to provide service here or to offer you dial-
around (10-10) calling options, it must request
that we program our switching facilities to recog-
nize its "identification" code - or particular 10-
code. If the long-distance company does not make
the request, we cannot process the call.
The issue of choosing a long-distance calling plan
is even more straightforward. These plans are
unique only in their pricing; there are no technical
or service-related factors that require a local com-
pany to play any role at all in a long-distance
company s decision to make a calling plan avail-
able to certain customers or in certain areas. The
only issues in this regard are the long-distance
company s willingness to offer its plan wherever
and to whomever it chooses, and its obligation to
offer non-discriminatory rates.
39. Why are my long-distance rates so high?
You must be careful to read and understand all
tenns and conditions before you can expect to see
any "5-cent anytime" benefits. Since many 10ng-
distance companies choose not to offer their
low-rate plans here, that means if you want their
service, you re stuck with their "basic" rates, usu-
ally well above any advertised specials.
No matter what we hear, you must first find out if
these low rates and calling plans are offered here.
Even if they are, those who don t look closely
before they make the leap may wind up surprised
by higher rates than expected and additional
charges. Despite the promises, lower rates are not
automatic, may apply only to interstate (state to
state) calls, and usually come with other strings
attached. Many plans specify defined hours dur-
ing which the lower rates apply; off-hour calls are
billed at much higher rates. Also, almost all plans
include a monthly "buy-" charge, and some
even require a "set-up" fee. Even worse, cus-
tomers who are. swayed by the advertising
promises but don t call to request a specific plan
may see rates exceeding 35 cents per minute.
40.Do I have an alternative to the national
long-distance companies? Can I continue
to get one bill for my local and
long-distance charges?
Many community based te1ecom providers have
sought to provide their customers a long-distance
option that's "closer to home." Fearing that our
customers can t expect any better service from the
big long-distance companies, we concluded that if
our customers were to have a real prospect of
better long-distance service, it would have to
come locally... from here in the community...
from your local te1ecom provider. And that's just
what we ve done. We offer long-distance service
that's quite unlike what you may be used to:
Competitive rates and calling plans, but wit~ the
benefit of the kind of one-to-one service you
expect from a company based here in the
community. .. and made up of friends and
neighbors, not remote service centers and 800
numbers. We re excited about offering you
long-distance service and about providing our
customers and communities a choice to meet
their needs.
Broadband Services/High-Speed Internet Access
Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)
ve heard a lot lately about high-speed Internet
access and DSL (digital subscriber line) technology.
Minus all the jargon, DSL is a new and faster
connection to the Internet - over your existing
telephone line. With DSL, users can connect to the
Internet at speeds more than 20 times faster than
standard dial-up connection. And, unlike dial-up,
DSL lets you browse the Web or check e-mail
without tying up your regular telephone line.
There s also been a lot of talk about how hard it is to
get DSL. Yes, it's true , even today many customers
in the large, urban markets remain shut out when it
comes to high-speed DSL access. But we ve worked
hard to make it available to as many as our
customers as possible, and with continuing
development, the advanced services made possible
by DSL and other broadband technologies will surely
grow in popularity and demand.
Service Benefits
With high-speed DSL, users enjoy:
High-Speed Access - download pictures and graphics
almost instantly
A Constant Connection - always-on access; you don
have to dial up each time you go online, so there s no
waiting or busy signals
No Second Line - you can use the same line for both
your telephone service and your Internet connection
Call-and-Surf Capability - DSL lets you talk on the
telephone while another family member surfs the web
A Dedicated Connection - the DSL connection is
dedicated; unlike cable modems, DSL is not a shared
technology, so there is no slowing down as other
users log on
Some Things to Remember about
DSL
DSL technology is distance-sensitive. DSL becomes
less consistent as customers approach the limit of
18,000 feet from the equipment/remote office that
serves your home or business. Also, while we pro-
vide all DSL customers up to the requested amount
of bandwidth our network allows, we note that actual
transmission speeds vary from time to time.
DSL's high-speed data transmission may cause noise
on your telephone line. You may need a filter on the
telephone to prevent noise that may come through
the wire and interfere with your voice calls. If neces-
sary, most DSL providers offer one or more filters as
part of your service, but you may need to purchase
additional filters depending on the number of phones
in your house.
DSL service requires a special digital modem to
connect with the Internet. The current modem charge
is a flat, one-time fee. However, we will waive this
fee for customers who sign a (12/24/other)-month
DSL service contract.
41. What is DSL?
DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) is a technology
that provides high-bandwidth (high-speed) net-
work connections to individual homes and
businesses. DSL uses the same line as your regu-
lar telephone service, but it offers the higher data
speeds because of the digital modems, rather than
the "56k"ana1og modems. DSL is a relatively
new technology and because of current technical
limitations and its high cost, remains unavailable
in some locations - not only in some rural areas
but also in many urban markets as well. While
much attention has been given to reports that DSL
customers have experienced installation and/or
service problems, with increased deployment and
usage, we re confident that these "growing painswill subside, and DSL will become a very benefi-
cial network service for those who need and
demand high-speed Internet access.
42. How does DSL work over regular
telephone lines?
The heart of Digital Subscriber Line technology is
in fact the modem;the line itself is actually the
same telephone wire you ve always had. From the
user s point of view, the DSL modem that you
purchase as part of the service talks to another
DSL modem located at the service provider
location; in essence, the modems send data back
and forth, but the telephone line itself hasn
changed. The digital modem technology "con-
verts" your line to use the additional, data
capacity. As a result, DSL subscribers can "sharethe line at the same time both for their digital
(data) and analog (voice) calls. Thus, you can surf
the Web even as you talk on the phone.
43. What service benefits and advantages
does DSL offer me?
In a nutshell, DSL technology offers three major
advantages over dial-up Internet access or data
service: much higher speeds, a constant "always-
" connection, and talk-and surf capability.
What's causing all the excitement is , first of all
&peed. DSL can deliver more than 100 times the
network perfonnance of a standard analog (dial-
up) modem. While the exact speed depends on the
customer s location, even the most basic DSL
connection should easily outperfonn standard
modems by a factor of 20 or more.
Another major DSL advantage is access. DSL is
" all the time. DSL users do not have to dial
their Internet service provider each time they want
to "access" the Internet. You should be aware
however, that an always-on connection, such as
DSL, does have security issues. It's a good idea
for DSL users to install personal firewall products
on their home networks to guard against external
attacks. Another option to guard against "hackers
is to simply turn off the computer when you
finished using it. Finally, with DSL, you don
need a second line to keep your line "open." DSLlets you talk and surf at the same time on the
same line.
""!" ~
44. I understand DSL is not available every-
where. How do I know if I can get it?
Right now, DSL is not offered everywhere; avail-
ability is determined by how close a customer is
to the nearest exchange - or switching equipment
- that connects the homes and business in that
service area to our central office. DSL technology
works only over a limited physical distance: At
maximum, DSL runs about 18.000 feet (3.5 miles)
from our central office or remote switch that
serves your area. Without going into to all the
details, we can simply say that local phone com-
panies in the United States historically did not
plan their networks or install their switches this
close to homes in most areas. In addition, some
variations of DSL technology restrict these physi-
cal distances even further. The limit can be as low
as 1 000 feet (0.2 miles), depending on the actual
transmission speeds.
In addition to the length restrictions, phone lines
must be "qualified" for DSL. Even if the
connection point is less than 18 000 feet from the
equipment, a particular line must also possess
sufficient electrical-quality characteristics. Many
technical details, outside the customer s control
determine whether a telephone line is of sufficient
quality" to support DSL. Sometimes, a
technician can measure the line quality without
traveling to the customer s site, but testing often
must be done on both ends (increasing
installation costs).
One particularly problematic technical issue for
DSL is the use of "load coils" on telephone lines.
Load coils are small electrical devices that
improve the line s ability to transmit voice calls.
Many local companies, especially the larger ones
have relied on load coils over the years to
improve their service quality. But, while load
coils work effectively on the low (voice) frequen-
cies, they adversely affect the high (data)
frequencies. Basically, DSL service will not run
over load coils. In addition, if the copper wire is
too old, corroded, or in generally poor condition
the line may not be able to support the broadband
data requirements for DSL
45.ve heard that there are a lot of problems
with DSL, that service goes out a lot, and
that installation is an issue. Is that the
case here?
It's true that some companies have experienced
difficulties in deploying DSL. For the most part
however, the problems have been concentrated
among the large, urban-based companies with
vast networks that have not been upgraded regu-
larly. Nationwide, some customers report
difficulties in transitioning to DSL, and for some
of the larger companies, it can take a surprisingly
long time to install DSL. But most community
based telecom providers have not experienced the
delays others have.
Once the service is installed, some customers
complain that the technology is sometimes unreli-
able - for example, dropping connections
unexpectedly. This has not been a major problem
for us, but a few customers have experienced
slower-than-expected speeds on occasion. In fact
the issue of speed (available bandwidth) comes up
frequently. We provide all customers up to the
requested amount of bandwidth within our net-
work, but we remind you that actual transmission
speeds vary. The actual network bandwidth a cus-
tomer receives with DSL depends on the span of
their telephone wiring: The longer the line, the
less bandwidth DSL can support.
As the technology improves, we can expect to
hear less about any DSL problems. True to our
tradition of quality service, community based tele-
com companies intend to offer DSL that's as
reliable and dependable as our voice service.
re confident that, compared with standard
dial-up Internet access, DSL connection will
prove a valuable addition for home and small-
business networks for years to come.
46. I understand there are many kinds of
DSL. What are they, and what do they
mean to me?
Digital Subscriber Line services are sometimes
referred to as "xDSL" services, because the tenn
DSL refers to a group of related network technolo-
gies, rather than just one. Among the most common
types ofDSL are: ADSL, HDSL, SDSL, and
VDSL. Before describing them, we should note that
DSL's high speed goes in two directions
Downstream refers to Web pages or content you
view or download on your computer; upstream
refers to files or content you send from your com-
puter to someone else. As far as direction, DSL is
divided into: symmetric and asymmetric symmetric
DSL service provides identical data rates upstream
and downstream; while asymmetric DSL generally
has faster rates downstream than it does upstream.
ADSL
Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line provides
higher downstream data rates, but at the expense
of upstream rates. Many typical uses of the Web -
such as file downloads and general browsing -
benefit from greater downstream bandwidth but
require relatively little in the opposite direction.
Universal ADSL (also known as G.Lite) improves
on one of the weaknesses of standard ADSL -
installation. ADSL generally requires a techni-
cian s visit to the customer s site to install the
splitter that divides the frequency spectrum for
voice and data. G.Lite does not require a splitter
but it does so at the expense oflower data rates.
G . Lite supports a maximum speed of 1 544 Kbps
(384 Kbps upstream) whereas full-rate ADSL can
support more than 8 000 Kbps.
HDSL
A symmetric solution, High Bit/Data-Rate DSL
provides the same bandwidth (speed) both
upstream and downstream. HDSL requires two
phone lines to deliver the basic data rate (1 544
Mbps), and it can deliver a maximum rate of
048 Kbps using three lines.
SDSL
Symmetric DSL improves on the HDSL technolo-
gy by using the same basic data rate (1 544 Kbps)
but requiring only a single phone line.
VDSL
Very High Data-Rate DSL technology works over
a more limited physical distance than other fonns
of DSL. While most DSL applications will run up
to 18 000 feet (3.5 miles) from a central office or
remote switch that serves the customer s area, the
maximum length for VDSL is about 4 500 feet
but it achieves the highest data rate (roughly
840 Kbps). The bandwidth levels supported by
VDSL are needed to support certain high-end
video applications, such as High-Definition
Television (HDTV) that requires, for example, up
to 20 000 Kbps.
47. Is DSL the only way I can get high-speed
Internet access and broadband services?
As you d expect, life is never that simple. There
are several technologies that offer consumers
high-speed access and advanced services.
Cable modems allow high-speed, always-on
Internet access using cable television lines. Cable
modems support network speeds comparable to
DSL, and like some DSL services, upstream speeds
to the Internet are slower than downstream.
Because it has been around longer and has fewer
technological hurdles, high-speed access via cable
modems is currently more prevalent than DSL. But
unlike DSL service (that offers dedicated band-
width), cable modems use shared bandwidth. This
means that the actual perfonnance of a customer
cable modem depends on how many other users
are in that area and are online at the same time.
Satellite data service affords another option
especially for those out of the reach of DSL or
cable service. Currently, satellite-delivered access
works at no more than one-third the speed of DSL
- often less. But like DSL, satellite bandwidth is
dedicated, so speeds won t drop when others use
it. These satellite "mini-dish" systems weren
initially designed for two-way communications
(they re the same ones that deliver TV
programming), so satellite access to the Internet
generally requires an analog phone line and
modem for outgoing (upstream) traffic. Satellite
providers, however, are now testing technology
that will pennit a small dish system to transmit
data back to the satellite, but equipment is just
beginning to become available and pricing is still
being detennined.
Wi reless Services
For much of the nation, wireless is everywhere.
Perhaps nothing illustrates the te1ecom revolution
more clearly than the soaring demand and immense
popularity of wireless. In most urban markets, cus-
tomers can pick and choose from among a number of
providers, and wireless carriers now boast more than
50 million subscribers and 55% penetration nation-
wide. Wireless promises to maintain its rapid
expansion as technology improves and broadband
data becomes more user-friendly. In fact, the only
thing holding back the wireless surge is the lack of
available spectrum. The FCC juggles to distribute
spectrum to wireless carriers, broadcasters, and satel-
lite companies. At the same time, the wireless boom
has created so much customer choice that the FCC is
licensing the airwaves strictly on a large-market, geo-
graphic basis. Thus, it would seem that wireless has
become competition s "success story" - at least, that
, in urban areas.
For community based te1ecom providers, wireless
poses many challenges. Many rural companies
already offer cellular and/or PCS services through
their existing licenses. Confronted by spectrum
scarcity and the large-market bias, most community
based companies do not have a realistic opportunity
to acquire additional spectrum. To date, the FCC has
not made rural coverage a priority. The decision to
combine rural and urban areas in distributing
spectrum works to the disadvantage of rural
companies and customers. The bigger the market, the
more certain it is that only large companies, with vast
financial resources - but little incentive to extend
service to rural communities - can bid for the
licenses. Including urban centers in the same markets
with less-appealing rural areas ups the auction price
for small carriers seeking to serve their customers
and drives up minimum bids, up-front costs, and
required down payments.
Spectrum remains a vital asset for community
based te1ecom providers. In hard-to-serve areas
wireless technologies often offer the best
perhaps, only - option if broadband is to reach all
of rural America. The ability of these companies
to offer wireless could well prove the deciding
factor in whether Americans in the most remote
areas ever enjoy access to advanced services.
What's more, as the events of September 11
2001 drove home so emotionally, access to
alternative means of communication, particularly
wireless, is critical in times of national crisis.
Without question, all technologies must be
accessible to rural citizens.
48. Is all wireless service the same?
What's the difference between analog
and digital?
Currently, wireless service is delivered either
through analog (the "older" type) or digital (pCS
(personal communications service) and other
newer" types). Analog sends the voice signal
through the air using radio waves, while digital
converts the voice signals to computer language
(ones and zeros), transmitted through electronic
pulses and reassembled after delivery. Converting
to digitized voice signals also allows computer
processing, which eliminates much of the static
background noise. As a result, digital wireless
offers clearer, more secure calls and usually
includes more features than analog.
On the other hand, wireless coverage, the geo-
graphic area where you can use your wireless
phone, is currently broader with analog technolo-
gy - since it was the mode used when cellular
service was fIrst deployed in the .1980s. Most of
the country, including rural areas, has analog cov-
erage. Digital technology has developed more
recently, so coverage tends to be in more-populat-
, highly traveled areas. Many parts of the
country still await digital coverage. As wireless
carriers upgrade their networks to expand their
coverage, however, much of the nation should be
accessible to digital service in the near future.
49.Where can I use my wireless phone?
How is coverage set up, and how does
roaming work? If I'm in my service area,
why are there dropped calls and
dead spots?
The area where you can make and receive
wireless calls is detennined by where your carrier
has a license and where it has built out its
network. You should have a "coverage" map of
the particular geographic area served by your
wireless carrier. Within your service area, the
carrier s network senses when your signal is
becoming weak and automatically "hands off"
your call to the antenna tower in the next cell.
When you travel beyond your carrier s area, you
still may be able to use your wireless service - in
this case, provided by the wireless carrier in the
area where you are travelling. This is called
roaming. Even if a wireless carrier has not
constructed towers and built out its network
roaming can allow its customers to be able to
connect using another carrier s network. If your
wireless carrier has a "roaming agreement" with
another carrier and if your wireless handset allows
roaming, you will be able to connect with the
other network to use your wireless service
(roaming usually requires additional cost, see
50). When you re roaming, your handset
electronically registers with that carrier/market to
alert your carrier where you are and that you
making use of the roaming arrangement.
Even within your carrier s coverage area
limitations in network facilities and capacity
sometimes cause problems in wireless call
completion. If the carrier s network fails to hand
off calls in progress as a customer travels from
one coverage area to another, a "dropped call"
results. A large number of callers using the
network at the same time can strain capacity, so
others will get a busy signal when they try to
connect. The terrain also affects coverage, causing
dead" spots - areas where service may not be
available because the signal between the handset
and the tower is blocked or impeded. ill addition
wireless signals often fade inside buildings or
underground. Wireless providers are working on
network improvements to eliminate these types
of problems.
50.
Coverage is also affected by the type of handset
you have. Wireless phones can be single-mode
e., connect to either an analog or digital network
but not both, or dual-mode e., work with both
analog and digital. (New tri-mode wireless phones
are just now coming on the market, as new, digital
cellular technology is deployed.) Obviously, the
more networks your handset can connect with, the
broader your coverage. Generally speaking, dual-
mode or digital handsets will automatically switch
to analog in areas where digital service is not
available; likewise, digital technology can switch
a call to analog mode - and maintain high voice
quality - if the caller travels outside a digital serv-
ice area. However, the reverse does not hold:
analog handsets do not work on a digital system.
Digital wireless requires a digital-capable handset.
How does wireless pricing work? Are
wireless plans, minutes, and terms
similar to those for my wireline
(home) service?
One side effect of the competitive success of
wireless has been the rise of complex and confus-
ing pricing plans, service rules, and illogical
practices. Even the most basic aspects of service
can require painstaking attention to detail. For
example, in the buckets of minutes included in
some plans
, "
nighttime" rates don t start until
9:00 p., and "weekends" may not include holi-
days. Wireless customers should familiarize
themselves with the "fIDe print" in their plans:
Pricing plans and buckets of minutes: Most wire-
less plans include a number of minutes per month
- its service "bucket" - at a specified monthly
rate; any usage over that amount is charged on a
per-minute basis. Unused minutes usually expire
at the end of the month, or billing period, though
some carriers now offer plans with "rollover
minutes. Many carriers also vary their plans by
specifying where customers can use their service
without incurring additional long-distance or
roaming charges.
ClassifYing usage: Many wireless plans include a
bucket of minutes that can be used "anytime vs.
minutes (usually more) that can used only during
certain times, generally nights and weekends.
Remember
, "
nights" and "weekends" depend on
how the carrier defines them. Similarly, some
carriers still charge different rates for "peak" and
off-peak" minutes, which are defined by the
carrier. Also, wireless calls to locations outside
the carrier s coverage area generally are charged
additional "long-distance" fees. Recently,
however, some carriers have begun to eliminate
per-minute long-distance rates in some of
their plans.
Who pays for a wireless call?Unlike traditional
wireline (phone) service, wireless pricing requires
customers to pay for both the calls they make
(outgoing) and the calls they receive (incoming).
The FCC has floated proposals to change this
practice and adopt a "calling party pays" policy
for wireless, but has yet taken no action.
Roaming and nationwide calling: As noted, wire-
less providers traditionally have charged
roaming" fees, usually per minute of use, for
calls outside a customer s service area using the
network facilities of another carrier with whom
there is a roaming agreement. With wireless
growing so competitive, however, roaming
charges are another fee that some carriers have
eliminated in the effort to win market share with
nationwide" pricing plans. Many national carri-
ers now allow customers to select a plan with
minutes that can be used on a nationwide basis
with no additional fees. "Nationwide " however
does not mean the same thing to all; to some car-
riers, nationwide means within reach of its
antenna towers - when you re switched to another
network, the rate goes up; to others, it means only
other digital networks - meaning you re out of
luck if you re calling into an analog network.
Service agreements:Wireless carriers often
require customers to sign contracts or service
agreements of specific duration, usually, at least
one year, to qualify for a wireless service plan.
Most impose a penalty for early termination.
This reference guide was designed and produced by the Foundation for Rural Service, a partner of
the National Telecommunications Cooperative Association. It's mission is to promote, educate and
advocate to the public, rural telecommunications issues in order to sustain and enhance the quality
of life within communities throughout rural America. For additional information, visit FRS online
at www.frs.org.This guide is part of an FRS image and awareness campaign made possible by
the generous support of the Rural Teleohone Finance Cooperative,based in Herndon, VA.
.J.J.J.J.J.J.J.J.J
RfFC
RURAL TElEPHONE FINANCE COOPERATIVE
Foundation t)))
for Rural Service
4121 Wilson Blvd.. Tenth Floor
Arlington, VA 22203
Phone:[phone]
Fax:[phone]
www.frs.org
, .
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Rural Telephone Co!JDpauy
Production
Response #2
Case No. RUR-O6-
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TELEPHONE COMPANY
892 West Madison Avenue
Glenns Ferry, 10 83623
888-366-7821 OR 208-366-2614
Attached is the application for new telephone service. It is extremely important
that the application be filled out completely. Incomplete applications will be
returned for completion and may cause delays in installation of your phone
service. Please include the following with your application:
Copy of a Picture ID(driver s licenses is preferred) for each applicant, such
as; driver s license, US military card , Native American tribal document,
Voter s registration card w/picture, or an 10 card provided by federal, state , or
local government agency w/picture.
Social Security Number for each applicant on the application.
Daytime telephone number where you may be reached or a message
number.
Remember to sign and date the 2nd page of your application.
Credit Requirements:
Letter from previous phone company verifying 12 months of phone service.
Credit check, Please sign authorization with application.
Deposit of $60 for Residential and $100 for Business.
To return application and start the installation process, you must:
Mail the original application to the above address.
Application WILL NOT be processed unless pictureid and letter of credit or
deposit are included. Picture 10 MUST be clear and legible.
A customer service representative may be contacting you at the daytime number you
have provided. Our business office is open from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm MST, Monday
through Friday. After hours calls are routed to an automated answering system. Please
leave a message and your call will be returned as soon as possible.
We look forward to providing you with the best possible telephone service.
Sincerely,
Rural Telephone Company
, '
Ac"C,'QUriti#' .~ U$'
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(i)~F:'Ie.i.:~~c~i~~~;;
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Rural Telephone Company. Idaho (RTC)
Telephone Service Application
892 W. Madison Avenue
Glenns Ferry, 1083623
[phone] Toll Free
www,rtcLnet
Service Address
S()#
~AL
TELEPHONE COHPANY
:R:$Q~ivedl3~te'
Mailing Address
City State Zip Daytime #(-
E-mail Requested Install Date _
Applicant or Business
Name
CREDIT INFORMATION
(please print)
Co-Applicant
Name
Birth Date _
/ _
SS#
Drivers Uc.#
Birth Date SS#
State Driva's Lic.#State
ErrpIoyer:
Wak#
0v'vt1 Rent
La-db"d Ncn-e
Hire Date
Employer:
Wcrk#(_Hire Date
Ph If(Lease Date
Ref'ererm Nc:me: .
Refer'er1re .Address:
Ref Ph
City State
rrAP#Idaho Telephone Assistance Program (if eligible)
Prevh.Js .Adlress
Ieet Box ity Zip Previous Phone
Previa.Js Ptu1e Qxrpany Disa:nned Date
DIRECTORY LISTING
Published 0 Noo-PubIished (not in Directory Assistance or Phone Book - $4.00 fee)
phone book $3.00 fee)
Published Di"Eday Nane(s) please pi1t
Non-IJs1ed (not in
Irs
reet Address
Additional Listings ($1.50Imonth)
IF NON.PUBLISHED NON.LISTED: You have the option to request RTG to withhold your billing name and address frominterstate carriers and service providers, By choosing to withhold name address you may be unable to place thirdnumber call or receive collects cails from certain Long Distance Carrier s. Your signature below confirms you understandthese restrictions and still request RTC to withhold billing name and address from interstate carriers and service providers.
Signature
IntraLAT A Long Distance
InterLATA LonQ Distance
LONG DISTANCE CARRIER(S)
PIC CODE
PIC CODE
PREFERRED CARRIER FREEZE REQUEST (optional)
Until such time that I notify RTC to the contrary, I desire that the carrier selections indicated above for the longdistance service be frozen for my account. I understand this will retain the companies designated above as myprimary IntraLA T A and InterLA T A carriers, This will prevent "slamming" or switching of carriers without my priorauthorization. I further understand that this means I may not change carriers without verifiable written or oralnotification to RTC to remove this freeze, These steps are in addition to the FCC's verification rules that carriers mustfollow before changing a customers preferred carrier.
Signature Date
AUTOMATIC PAYMENT AUTHORIZATION (optional)ACCEPT 0 DECLINE
Please complete auto pay form included.
LOCAL SERVICE & CONNECTION FEES
Residential Flat Rate - $21.63 - 24.10 / mo. (does NOT include taxes listed below; st fed tax will be added as appropriate)
Business Flat Rate - $40.68 - 42.00 /month (does NOT include taxes listed below; state federal tax will be added asappropriate)
Fees Include: FCC line charge $6,50; FCC multi line charge $9,20; County E-911 $1.00; Res. IUSF Tax $0.10; Bus, IUSF Tax $0.15; IT AP $0.
Connection Fees:
LIne Connection
Service Order Charge
Premise Visit (if needed)
Inside Wiring Installation
$15.
$10.
$40.
$60.00 per hour with a minimum one-hour charge
Includes labor, materials & travel. Please allow (5) business days for service.
ALL CUSTOMERS PLEASE READ AND SIGN: I hereby request telephone service from RTC and agree to abide by all provisionsof its tariff as approved by the U.TC., including but not limned: deposn requirements, installation fee, payment obligations, and anyother rules that may apply. The subscriber is responsible for their own inside wiring, connecting jacks, and other phone equipment. If
requested, these items may be installed. All applicable time and materials will be billed on the customer telephone bill. I certify that theinformation provided herein, is correct and true. I also certify that the directory listings shown herein are correct. Telephone bills aredue upon receipt and considered late 3 weeks after billing date. Further, I agree to pay reasonable attorney fees; court costs and
collection costs if the Company is required to take any action to collect any amounts due for the provision of service or to enforce any
terms of its tariffs.
Signature
Signature
Date
Is address marked on property? DYes
Driving Directions:
ONo 15 residence a: Mobile House DUnder Construction
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, sexreligion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation or marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs) Persons with disabilities
who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at
[phone] (voice and TOO).
. .
To file complaint of discrimination, write: USDA
, "
Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1.f' and Independence Avenue
SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call [phone] (voigee and TOO). USDA is an equal opporlunityproviderand employer.
Voluntary Information: Equal Opportunity
0 White (not of Hispanic origin) Black (not of Hispanic origin) Hispanic
American Indian/Alaskan Native Asian/Pacific Islander
" .. , ,
e1t W. MADISONIVU r\. 1\ GLENNS FERRY, IDAHO 83623
J E L E P H 0 NEe 0 M P AN Y [phone]' FAX [phone]
Automatic Payment Agreement
Account Infonnation
Name:
Account Number:
Phone Number:
Credit Card Information
Circle One: Visa or MasterCard
Print Cardholder Name:
Card Number:
Expiration Date:
V -Code:(This is a 3-digit number in the Signature line on the
the back of your card.
I authorize Rural Telephone Company to charge my Bank card
or Credit card as indicated above.
further agree to notify Rural Telephone Company of any changes to my
bank or credit card account (ex, New account, new expiration date, lost or
stolen card).
Authorizing Signature:
, (
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Rural Telephone Compa..yiSiON
Prod u ctio n
Response #3
Case No. RUR-O6-
" '
CREDIT RELEASE FORM
Rural Telephone Company
I/we certify that all the information contained in the attached application is trueand includes a complete representation of all material facts as of this date. addition I/we give permission to Rural Telephone Company and/or itsrepresentatives or staff to request and receive information required to verifyemployment, depository accounts and credit history. This includes permissionto run credit check reports and obtain all the information necessary complete the application for service requested.
APPLICANT CO-APPLICANT
Signature Signature
Print Name Print Name
Social Security #Social Security #
Date of Birth MM/DD/YYYY Date of Birth MM/DD/YYYY
Street Address Street Address
City/State/Zip City/State/Zip
Mailing address if different than aboveMailing Address , if different than above
City/State/Zip City/State/Zip
Telephone Number Telephone Number
Driver s License Number Driver s License Number
, '" ,
New Service or Non-existinJ! Facilities ONLY
, give Rural Telephone Company pennission10 place cable and other necessary faciJities on my property in order to provide telephone service
to my residence or business, and right of access to those facilities. In the event that other rightsor easements are needed to provide such service, I win obtain those rights or easements on behalf
ofthe Rural Telephone Company.
Signature Date
Please provide a rough sketch of our property, including obstacles, (water lines, powerlines, eeL.) located on the property. Also note on the sketch the preferred location wheretelephone lines and faciljfjes are to be placed.
*NOTE: As of January J 1997 we are requesting all applicants to provide an open trench from
the property line to the residence for the cable to be placed in.
. ,
: c\ \j E D CD
Rural Telephone Cod\PJ(Q,~
UTILITIES CO\'\;;'ii~~!ur~
Production
Response #4
Case No. RUR-O6-
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86
4
20
8
11
2
0
6
9
AL
L
E
N
LA
K
E
21
5
1
86
4
20
8
11
2
8
4
5
ME
R
L
I
N

&

J
U
D
I
T
H
LO
R
D
S
21
2
2
86
4
20
8
11
2
8
4
5
ME
R
L
I
N

&

J
U
D
I
T
H
LO
R
D
S
21
2
3
86
4
20
8
11
5
9
6
5
NO
R
M
A
N

&

S
A
N
D
R
A
NY
E
21
2
5
86
4
20
8
11
6
4
6
5
JA
M
E
S
PA
R
K
I
N
S
O
N
22
1
9
86
4
20
8
11
6
9
2
9
LE
O
N
A
R
D

O
R

G
E
R
I
PE
R
K
I
N
S
22
1
3
86
4
20
8
11
8
8
8
1
RO
E
B
E
R
21
3
1
86
4
20
8
12
0
2
7
7
PI
N
N
A
C
L
E

P
E
A
K
S
SA
W
T
O
O
T
H

L
O
D
G
E
21
6
8
86
4
20
8
12
0
4
4
1
MA
R
Y
SC
H
M
A
D
E
R
22
2
0
86
4
20
8
12
0
5
5
3
CH
A
R
L
E
N
E
SC
H
R
A
F
T
21
7
4
86
4
20
8
12
0
5
5
7
AR
T
A
SC
H
R
A
F
T
21
6
4
86
4
20
8
12
1
0
1
3
RO
N
A
L
D

L
.
SH
E
R
E
R
21
4
0
86
4
20
8
12
1
0
3
3
SH
I
M
O
D
A
21
5
8
86
4
20
8
12
2
0
6
9
CU
R
T
I
S

M
.
ST
I
G
E
R
S
21
8
8
86
4
20
8
12
2
1
0
5
SU
S
A
N

F
.
ST
I
N
S
O
N
21
4
5
86
4
20
8
12
3
0
9
7
KE
N

&

S
U
S
A
N
TO
R
R
E
Y
21
6
6
86
4
20
8
12
3
5
9
7
ID
A
H
O

C
I
T
Y

R
A
N
G
E
R

D
I
S
T
R
I
C
T
21
2
4
86
4
20
8
12
3
6
0
1
Id
a
h
o

C
i
t
y

R
a
n
Q
e
r

D
i
s
t
r
i
c
t
21
3
9
86
4
20
8
12
3
7
3
7
GA
R
Y

&

D
A
N
A
VA
N
C
E
21
3
6
86
4
20
8
12
4
8
4
9
JA
N
WI
L
L
S
22
2
2
86
4
20
8
14
0
0
7
4
BR
E
N
T
TR
A
P
P
E
N
22
2
9
86
4
20
8
14
0
0
9
9
OF

A
M
E
R
I
C
A

I
N
C
.
AT
L
A
N
T
A

G
O
L
D

C
O
R
P
O
R
A
T
I
O
N
21
8
0
86
4
20
8
14
0
1
6
5
ST
E
V
E
N

&

E
V
E
L
Y
N
CR
A
M
E
R
21
8
2
86
4
20
8
14
0
2
4
4
MA
R
G
A
R
E
T

A
TU
C
K
E
R
21
4
7
86
4
20
8
14
0
2
4
9
GR
E
G
JO
H
N
S
21
6
2
86
4
20
8