DE 98-163
DE 98-164
DE 98-165
Bretton Woods Telephone Company,
Dixville Telephone Company,
Northland Telephone Company
Consideration of 2-Way Extended Area Service
Order Approving Home and Contiguous 2-Way Extended Area Service
O R D E R N O. 23,120
January 27, 1999
By Orders of Notice issued by the New Hampshire Public
Utilities Commission (Commission)on November 19, 1998, members of
the public were invited to comment at a public hearing on the
proposed expansion of EAS and the cost of implementing the
proposed expansion in each of the service territories of Bretton
Woods Telephone Company (Bretton Woods), Dixville Telephone
Company (Dixville), and Northland Telephone Company (Northland).
The Orders of Notice required each company to file proposed
tariff pages reflecting the rates necessary for implementing home
and contiguous 2-way EAS and scheduled the public hearing for the
evening of December 9, 1998.
In Docket No. DE 97-180, Order No. 22,861 (March 9,
1998), the Commission found that, in addition to implementing
home and contiguous 2-way EAS (Extended Area Service, sometimes
referred to as the local calling area) within the Bell Atlantic
territory, the public good might be served by implementing the
same EAS state-wide. In that Order, we enunciated our belief
that "as the era of telecommunications competition further
unfolds and choices proliferate, New Hampshire customers will
benefit from clear, easily understood, reasonably equitable
EAS.... uniform equitable EAS is in the public good where it can
be achieved (1) without increasing monthly rates for customers
who receive no benefit from the EAS change and (2) without
hindering the federally mandated objective of a competitive
telecommunications market." We therefore required independent
local exchange carriers to meet with Commission Staff and the OCA
to discuss the appropriate rate changes necessary, if any, to
implement 2-Way home and contiguous EAS, and noted that an
additional hearing would be held to review the proposed rate
impacts. These dockets are the direct result of that order.
Home and contiguous 2-Way EAS would permit customers to
make calls within their home exchange and every other exchange
that is contiguous to the home exchange without incurring toll
charges. Any non-contiguous exchange which was formerly included
in the local calling area would remain in the local calling area.
According to the proposed tariff pages filed, the costs of
implementing the proposed EAS expansions for Bretton Woods,
Dixville, and Northland result in basic rate increases per month,
as follows:
Bretton Woods residential rates: $ .35
Bretton woods business rates: .35
Dixville residential rates: 2.00
Dixville business rates 3.84
Northland residential rates 2.00
Northland business rates 2.00
At the duly noticed public hearing on December 9, 1998,
no opposition to any of the proposed expansions to EAS was
expressed. The Commission Staff and the three companies support
the proposed expansion. One member of the public, who was in
favor of the proposed expansion of the Bretton Woods calling
area, expressed a wish to add other, non-contiguous exchanges to
the local calling area. Any such additional expansion, however,
would have to be filed as a petition pursuant to the Commission
rules for EAS expansion, N.H.Admin. Rules Puc 410 (adopted June
22, 1998), and would be the subject of a different docket.
In light of the recommendations of Staff, the three
companies, and members of the public, we find the proposed
expansion to implement home and contiguous 2-way EAS for Bretton
Woods, Dixville, and Northland is in the public good.
Based upon the foregoing, it is hereby
ORDERED, that home and contiguous 2-Way EAS shall be
implemented in the Bretton Woods Telephone Company territory and
that the rates contained in the draft tariff pages filed on
December 4, 1998 are hereby Approved, effective on or after March
24, 1999; and it is
FURTHER ORDERED, that home and contiguous 2-Way EAS
shall be implemented in the Dixville Telephone Company territory
and that the rates contained in the draft tariff pages filed on
December 4, 1998, are hereby Approved, effective on or after
March 24, 1999; and it is
FURTHER ORDERED, that home and contiguous 2-Way EAS
shall be implemented in the Northland Telephone Company territory
and that the rates contained in the draft tariff pages filed on
December 4, 1998, are hereby Approved, effective on or after
March 24, 1999; and it is
FURTHER ORDERED, that each company shall file tariff
pages in compliance with this order on or before 15 days from the
date of this order.
By order of the Public Utilities Commission of New
Hampshire this twenty-seventh day of January, 1999.
Douglas L. Patch Susan S. Geiger Nancy Brockway
Chairman Commissioner Commissioner
Attested by:
Claire D. DiCicco
Assistant Secretary