Press Release

PITTSBURGH -- Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) Chairman Glen R. Thomas today announced that the 12-week, multi-media and grassroots campaign to educate Southwestern Pennsylvania consumers about local telephone competition already has generated more than 1 million hits to the www.utilitychoice.org Web site from people seeking additional information on how to shop for local telephone service. The Web site reached 1 million hits on Thursday, July 25 -- just over one month after TV ads pointing consumers to the Web site debuted in Pittsburgh on June 24. The total number of hits since the June 19 launch of the Web site is 1,106,420.

"I commend Pennsylvania consumers for investing the time to become educated and explore the new, competitive local telephone marketplace," PUC Chairman Thomas said. "Engaging and educating Pennsylvania consumers is the key to creating a robust marketplace. The Web site and the supporting elements of this campaign provide consumers with the tools and resources they need to learn how to shop, make informed decisions, and perhaps save money and get better phone service from utility competition.

"By logging in 1 million hits in the last month, Southwestern Pennsylvanians and other consumers are finding Local Telephone Choice to be ‘another great call for Pennsylvania.’"

Commissioner Aaron Wilson Jr. said Braille displays, screen readers with speech synthesizers, and magnification browsers allow people with hearing and visual disabilities to access the Web site.

"We have an important responsibility to reach out to consumers of all incomes and in all communities," Commissioner Wilson said. "Based upon my years of experience as a professional educator, I cannot overstate the importance of properly educating Pennsylvania's consumers. Through www.utilitychoice.org and our toll-free hotlines, the PUC answers questions and provides information to help Pennsylvanians make the best choices for their families."

The site was officially launched in Pittsburgh on June 19 by members of the Pennsylvania Council for Utility Choice; Gov. Mark Schweiker; PUC Chairman Thomas; and Commissioners Wilson and Kim Pizzingrilli.

The Web site covers three utility industries -- Electric Choice, Natural Gas Choice and Local Telephone Choice -- and includes detailed information on how to shop including detailed questions to ask potential providers and suppliers; an online calculator to determine possible savings; consumer protections; lists of providers and suppliers; and glossaries of commonly used terms.

In addition to the new Web site, the Utility Choice campaign includes TV ads that began airing in the Pittsburgh media market on June 24; radio and email advertising; two toll-free consumer hotlines, 1-888-PUC-FACT and 1-800-782-1110; a new brochure; and grassroots consumer-education workshops and presentations to community-based organizations.

The campaign began in Pittsburgh because of the region’s high level of competition in the local telephone, natural gas and electric markets. There are 32 companies certificated by the PUC to provide local phone service in Southwestern Pennsylvania in areas traditionally served by Verizon and Sprint/United. At least 14 of these competitors have current offers to provide residential local service. There are about 250 companies certificated by the PUC to provide local phone service statewide. The PUC is seeing increased applications to service local telephone customers and approved two new companies for service at the PUC public meeting on July 11.

The Council for Utility Choice will soon announce the dates of upcoming educational campaign launches in Philadelphia and in Central Pennsylvania (Harrisburg/Lancaster/York).

The campaign builds on the Electric Choice "Where do you think you are, Pennsylvania?" Electric Choice ads, as well as public outreach that "set the standard" for consumer education, according to USA Today.

In April, the PUC established interim voluntary guidelines for local phone service providers to make it easier to find or read information on telephone bills; to make it seamless for consumers to switch phone service; to allow customers to keep their telephone numbers when they change to a new company; and to set rules for companies that abandon service. Ongoing collaboratives involving the PUC, the telephone industry and consumer representatives are currently considering the issues covered by these interim guidelines in an effort to develop comprehensive formal regulations.

Local telephone competition is the result of Pennsylvania’s 1993 enactment of Chapter 30 of the Public Utility Code; federal legislation; the Telecommunications Act of 1996; and the PUC’s Global Order of 1999.

The Council for Utility Choice is a non-profit corporation working in conjunction with the PUC. The Council is comprised of individuals from the following entities: the PUC; the Pennsylvania Rural Development Council; the Governor’s Advisory Commission on Latino Affairs; the Governor’s Advisory Commission on African-American Affairs; the Office of Consumer Advocate; small-business representatives; state utility associations; public school educators; and community-based organizations.

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission ensures safe, reliable and reasonably priced electric, natural gas, water, telephone and transportation service for Pennsylvania consumers, by regulating public utilities and by serving as responsible stewards of competition.

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