Alternatives to CenturyTel plan are given

Editor,

CenturyTel, our local telephone service, has a new billing plan with some expanded services into the Ronan/Pablo and other areas. According to their letter, the added cost would be $1.60 per month plus seven cents per minute charge for calls outside our local service area. Your second choice is to pay $4.69 per month additional to call the added areas of Ronan/Pablo and the present local service area. You, as a CenturyTel customer, will have no choice in the matter, one plan or the other or disconnect.

There are, however, several alternatives to the CenturyTel plan:

1. Subscribe to or use your cell phone as your primary telephone number and service. A significant number of cell phone users do this now.

2. If you have cable service, call VONAGE 1-800-486-6590 or 1-800-375-1301. VONAGE has a couple of phone service plans, with unlimited long distance and local calling rates from $14.95 to $24.99. VONAGE does have an activation fee and equipment shipping fee of about $45. You may or may not be able to keep your old telephone number.

3. Sometime after the first of January 2007, Bresnan cable will have telephone services on their cable system. One bill will get you cable television, Internet service and telephone service, too.

Paul Doolittle

Polson