Public largely in favor of extended calling plan

PABLO — The Montana Public Service Commission conducted a series of formal public hearings on the proposed Mission Valley-wide extended calling service area Monday at the Tribal Complex and other locations, and public feedback was largely positive, although plan rates would increase slightly if the idea was approved.

The proposal, if implemented, would make virtually the entire Flathead reservation a local calling area, and would involve several different phone companies. During public testimony, most people spoke in favor of the plan including representatives from SKC, Lake County Community Development and Salish Kootenai Housing Authority. However, Lake County resident Louis Ruiz went on the record to say he was not in favor of the plan.

"I can't imagine a telephone company making proposal changes to lose money," Ruiz said.

Ronan Telephone Co. president Jay Preston explained that RTC will lose long distance revenue, but that some of that would be offset by higher monthly service rates. But there's no guarantee the company will make more money, he said.

RTC attorney Ivan Evilsizer estimated that the company could even see about a $10,000 decrease in annual revenue.

"We volunteered to take a little bit of a hit," Evilsizer said.

Although the company could lose a lot of long distance revenue, Preston explained that it is a way to compete with the ever increasing amount of consumers who primarily use a cell phone as their main or only line of communication, which, he said, played a large part in Missoula's decision to extend their calling service in April.

"We essentially grafted ourselves into that process," he said.

Ruiz said he was on a fixed income and couldn't afford the upgrade in his phone service. But Preston pointed out RTC's Lifeline Assistance Program which offers reduced rates to low income subscribers for basic telephone service.

As it turns out, Ruiz and others like him may find themselves in that gray area where they make too much money to be eligible for the program, but not enough to afford the rate increase.

Some will benefit, some won't, Preston explained, but ultimately this is something that the community has been clamoring for.

"The reason that the company wanted to do this is because that's what they've been hearing from their consumers," Evilsizer said.

PSC Commissioner Doug Mood has conducted hearings all over the reservation and has found that the public is largely in favor of the plan.

"The testimony we heard indicated about six to one are in favor of it," Mood said. "Those who were against it are primarily people on a fixed income."

With the rise in heating and fuel costs, Mood explained, many people are concerned that this plan will be just another financial hurdle they'll have to leap.

"They are concerned about it and I can understand why," he said.

In short, Mood said that the plan will largely benefit those who make a lot of long distance phone calls. He explained that PSC is not leaning one way or the other on the plan and that they have to remain impartial until more data is diagnosed.

The PSC will have responsibility for giving the go ahead to RTC and the other companies involved, but will incorporate feedback from the other telephone companies, and their customers, before making a decision.