Office of the Ohio Consumers' Counsel

Media Center

CenturyTel imposes 10 percent price increase on many telephone features

COLUMBUS, Ohio – June 9, 2008 – The Office of the Ohio Consumers' Counsel (OCC), the residential utility consumer advocate, alerts CenturyTel's local telephone customers of price increases for numerous commonly-used services. The increases are permitted without review by state regulators since the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) allowed CenturyTel to operate under "elective alternative regulation" rules.

According to a recent filing, CenturyTel is raising by 10 percent the monthly prices of services such as call waiting, caller ID name and number, three-way calling and call forwarding. CenturyTel is also increasing the prices of some packages of calling features such as Basic Pak, Deluxe Pak and Premium Pak. The OCC is providing a chart listing the rate increases.

Elective alternative regulation allows local telephone companies to raise their rates for commonly-used features while agreeing to cap the rates of basic local service and basic Caller ID. The increases went into effect today. CenturyTel serves residential consumers in portions of Lorain and Erie counties.

"CenturyTel customers using these services are encouraged to review their monthly bills and evaluate their telephone needs, especially given these rate increases," said Janine Migden-Ostrander, Consumers' Counsel. "When CenturyTel asked for pricing flexibility, the OCC opposed it because the company did not show that its customers had choices for their local telephone service. Allowing the company to raise its rates was unfair to consumers then, and it is unfair today."

Over the OCC's objections, the PUCO granted CenturyTel elective alternative regulation in March 2004.

About the Office of the Ohio Consumers' Counsel

The Office of the Ohio Consumers' Counsel (OCC), the residential utility consumer advocate, represents the interests of 4.5 million households in proceedings before state and federal regulators and in the courts. The state agency also educates consumers about electric, natural gas, telephone and water issues and resolves complaints from individuals. To receive utility information, brochures, schedule a presentation or file a utility complaint, residential consumers may call 1-877-PICKOCC (1-877-742-5622) toll free in Ohio or visit the OCC website at www.pickocc.org.