NEWS RELEASE For Immediate Release: July 23, 2015
Joshua B. Epel, Chairman Pamela J. Patton, Commissioner Glenn A. Vaad, Commissioner
MEDIA CONTACT Terry Bote P: 303-894-2827
[email protected] www.dora.colorado.gov/puc
PUC to hold public hearings on telecom competition DENVER — The Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC), a division of the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA), will hold four public hearings in early August to take public comment about whether effective competition for basic telephone service exists in certain geographic areas. The four public comment hearings will be: Aug. 3 in Fort Morgan, City Council Chambers, 110 Main Street; Aug. 4 in Denver, PUC Hearing Room, 1560 Broadway, Suite 250; Aug. 5 in Colorado Springs, City Council Chambers, 107 N. Nevada; and Aug. 6 in Delta, City Council Chambers, 360 Main St. The hearings will begin at 4 p.m. and continue until finished, but no later than 7 p.m. The PUC last year determined that 56 CenturyLink wire centers, situated mostly along the denselypopulated Front Range corridor from Fort Collins to Pueblo, offered multiple providers for basic local telephone service. The PUC decision relaxed regulation of basic telephone service in those areas, and eliminated high-cost funding in the wire centers. The new proceeding is looking at 104 additional wire centers of CenturyLink and its subsidiaries, which are in more rural areas of the state. An Administrative Law Judge has divided the proceeding into two phases. The first phase will examine 48 wire centers in which three or more providers offer basic telephone service. The second phase, expected to occur next year, will evaluate the remaining 56 wire centers. Members of the public may also submit written comments about whether effective telecom competition exists in their area. Comments should be addressed to Docket No. 14M-0947T and sent to the PUC, 1560 Broadway, Suite 250, Denver, CO 80202. Comments may also be submitted via email to
[email protected] or by using the PUC’s on-line comment form.
Alamosa Ault Avon Avondale Boulder Main Breckenridge Brighton Brush Calhan Castle Rock Central City Cheraw
Proposed Wire Centers for Phase I review Coal Creek Green Mountain Falls Colorado Springs Main Harmony Copper Mountain Hayden Cottonwood Hillrose Delta Hudson Eaton Idaho Springs Elizabeth Julesburg El Paso Kiowa Evergreen Larkspur Fort Morgan La Salle Frisco Manitou Springs Greeley Manzanola
Morrison Nederland Ovid Palisade Penrose Platteville Rocky Ford Stratmoor Vail Vineland Weldona Wiley
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About PUC The Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC) serves the public interest by effectively regulating utilities and facilities so that the people of Colorado receive safe, reliable, and reasonably-priced services consistent with the economic, environmental and social values of our state.
About DORA The Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) is dedicated to preserving the integrity of the marketplace and is committed to promoting a fair and competitive business environment in Colorado. Consumer protection is our mission. Visit www.dora.colorado.gov for more information or call 303-8947855/toll free 1-800-886-7675.
