PR-09-93 -- Choctaw Telephone Company No Longer Subject To Certain Quality Of Service And Billing Standards

Contact: Kevin Kelly (573) 751-9300

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- NOVEMBER 20, 2008

JEFFERSON CITY---Choctaw Telephone Company has notified the Public Service Commission of its intent to opt out of PSC oversight regarding certain aspects of their telephone services.  The exchange affected by this filing is Halltown.

The carrier cites amendments to a state law, passed during the last legislative session in HB 1779, which permit certain carriers to opt out of traditional regulation through filings at the PSC.  Choctaw Telephone Company will no longer be subject to certain PSC rules and regulations.  Those PSC rules and regulations include:

•  Quality of service standards.
• Billing and payment standards.
• Clear identification and placement of charges on telephone bills.
• Engineering and maintenance standards.
• Clear identification of company name and contact information for billing disputes. 

The waivers prevent the PSC from enforcing its rules and regulations and limit the PSC’s ability to address formal complaints filed at the commission by consumers.  However, even though the Public Service Commission lacks jurisdiction to handle complaints associated with the waivers, the PSC will continue to monitor telephone company service performance.  Consumers are invited to contact the commission through its consumer services department hotline (1-800-392-4211) to report any positive or negative inquiries or complaints about service quality and billing issues. 

-30-

Case No. IE-2009-0157