ISDN in MD, VA, PA, DC or NJ...Help needed.

[James Love <love@tap.org>]

We are looking for individuals, organizations or firms that are located in
or do business in the following states, to join in motions to intervene in
ongoing Bell Atlantic ISDN cases.  The states are: 

       Maryland
       Virginia
       Pennsylvania 
       District of Columbia
       New Jersey

We have to file something in New Jersey and Pennsylvania pretty quick.  A
selection of our past filings in these state ISDN proceedings are at: 

http://www.essential.org/cpt/isdn/isdn.html, or
the Bell Atlantic Action page,
http://www.essential.org/cpt/isdn/bellnews.html

   Todd Paglia from our office is going to write the pleading.  He can be 
contacted at 202-387-8030 or tpaglia@tap.org

   BACKGROUND

   Last fall Bell Altantic (BA) filed terrible tariffs in each of its
states.  These were about $30 per month plus 1 to 2 cents per minute for
usage, which was the killer. After much criticism, BA has re-filed tariffs
which are lower, but still way too high.  In the new filings, you can buy
140 hours of one ISDN B channel (70 hours if you bond 2 together into a
single 128 Kpbs line) for $60 per month.  This is about .7 cents per 
minute per channel, and you pay for a block, even if you don't use it.
(the actual rates are on the CPT ISDN page).  

    ISDN doesn't cost the Telco much more than an analog phone, according
to several studies.  Some telephone companies have voluntarily filed much 
lower tariffs for ISDN, such as $17.90 per month, flat rate, in Arkansas, 
or $29.50 flat rate in parts of California.  Ameritech filed flat rate 
tariffs of $28 to $35 in Ohio, Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin.

In states were the tariffs have been contested, good things have happened. 
$27 flat rate in Tennessee, where a Commissioner was an ISDN user.  In New
Mexico, US West wanted $184 for its flat rate, but the Commission set the
rate at $40.  In Texas, the Commission just set a flat rate of $41 for
GTE. In Delaware, a Bell Atlantic state, the Commission set a rate of
$28.02 ($24.52 excluding the $3.50 interstate SLC charge).  In Washington
DC, there is a proposal before the Commission for a $32 flat rate. 
Studies of usage costs have ranged from 10 cents per hour to 5 cent per
day. 

  In Delaware and Washington DC, Bell Atlantic has threatened to withdraw 
the service if the Commissions insists on the lower rates.  But the new 
telecom act requires them to provide such services, the Commissions have 
the legal power to make it happen, and Bell Altantic wants to buy NYNEX, 
and shouldn't be causing so much grief.  

   If we intervene, with local residents or organizations or firms, it 
sends a signal to the Commission that the issue is important (how to 
price the new digital services), and that people want to get the service 
at reasonable rates.

   If you can help, send a note to Todd, at tpaglia@tap.org, or call him 
at 202/387-8030.

  jamie

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James Love / love@tap.org / P.O. Box 19367, Washington, DC 20036
Voice: 202/387-8030; Fax 202/234-5176
Center for Study of Responsive Law
   Consumer Project on Technology; http://www.essential.org/cpt
   Taxpayer Assets Project; http://www.tap.org
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