Public Meetings on ISDN Pricing in Maryland

["Todd J. Paglia" <tpaglia@essential.org>]

           *** PUBLIC MEETINGS ON ISDN PRICING IN MARYLAND ***
  
  	The Maryland ISDN rate case in which the Consumer Project on
  Technology has been participating for the past several months recently
  concluded the hearing stage.  Now you get your turn -- the public will
  have an important final opportunity to make its voice heard in favor of
  reasonably priced ISDN.  Two meetings will be held and the Hearing
  Examiner whom will make the initial decision in this case, Robert McGowan,
  will be present to listen to the public's views. 
  
  
  	CPT's MAIN POINTS
  
  	In the MD ISDN rate case, CPT has been advocating for a simple
  Flat Rate or a Virtual Flat Rate (capped at 200 hours of 1B usage; 100
  hours of 2B) for residential consumers--rather than Bell Atlantic's *7*
  rate pack options which we believe are confusing, cumbersome, and penalize
  over- and under-utilization of the pre-paid blocks of usage. 
  
  	The MD Staff Counsel has basically sided with Bell Atlantic on the
  pricing of ISDN.  The MD Office of People's Counsel, however, has
  advocated a $29 per month flat rate.  CPT believes that this is a bit
  high.  We think that a flat rate or a virtual flat rate should be in the
  range of $20-$25 per month.  This rate would make Bell Atlantic's rates
  comparable to the rates charged by Ameritech (4 states),
  Bellsouth-Tennessee, PacBell, and others. 
  
  	COMMENTS
  
  	A few issues are of particular importance to the Commission. 
  Among the most important is the type of pricing proposal that consumers
  prefer.  Whether consumers favor full measured usage or Bell Atlantic's
  call pack options when compared to a flat or virtual flat rate is a key
  issue and should be addressed in your oral or written comments. Additional
  background on this and other issues can be found at CPT's Bell Atlantic
  ISDN Action page and general ISDN Page:
  
    *BA ISDN Action-http://www.essential.org/cpt/isdn/bellnews.html 
  
    *General ISDN-http://www.essential.org/cpt/isdn/isdn.html
  
  
  	BALTIMORE MEETING -- JANUARY 8
  
  	A public meeting will be held at the MD Public Service Commission
  at 7:30 p.m, 6 St. Paul Street, 16th Floor, Baltimore, MD.  For persons
  interested in speaking at the meeting, and we encourage everyone to take
  advantage of this opportunity, registration will begin at 7:00 p.m. 
  
  
  	ROCKVILLE MEETING -- JANUARY 9
  
  	 A public meeting will be held at a site to be announced in the
  Rockville/Bethesda area at 7:30 p.m.  For persons interested in speaking
  at the meeting, and we encourage everyone to take advantage of this
  opportunity, registration will begin at 7:00 p.m. We will get the word out
  on the exact location when it is determined. 
  
  
  	FOR THOSE UNABLE TO ATTEND THE MEETINGS
  
  	CPT strongly suggests that interested people come to the meeting. 
  This is by far the most effective way to meaningfully express your views. 
  Written comments, however, will also be accepted at the following address
  if you cannot make it to the meeting: 
  
  Daniel P Gahagan, Executive Secretary
  Attn:  Case No. 8730
  Maryland Public Service Commission
  6 St. Paul Street
  Baltimore, MD  21202-6806
  
  No deadline has been established yet but we recommend that you
  get your comments in by mid-January at the latest.
   
  
  	Email Comments may also be made to the following address:
  
                     ISDN@psc.state.md.us
  
  	For background information on ISDN in the Bell Atlantic region,
  visit CPT's Bell Atlantic ISDN Action Page at: 
  
  		http://www.essential.org/cpt/isdn/bellnews.html
  
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  * Todd J. Paglia, Esq.		Center for Study of Responsive Law  *
  * tpaglia@essential.org 	    Taxpayer Assets Project	    *
  *        			    Consumer Project on Technology  *
  *								    *
  *    A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds,        *
  * adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines.          *
  *                                                                   *
  *                           --Emerson                               *
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~