Press Release
PUC Approves Telephone Application for Dark Air Corporation, Access Point, AT&T Broadband Phone and AT&T Communications of PA
Published on 5/9/2002
Filed under: Telecommunications
HARRISBURG - The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) today granted four licenses to telecommunications companies to provide basic local telephone service in the Commonwealth.
The companies will join more than 300 others operating as competitive local exchange carriers (CLEC) under the state’s 1993 telecommunications law, called Chapter 30, and the federal Telecommunications Act of 1996. Both laws were designed to open the local phone market to competition.
The PUC determined that the companies had sufficient technical, financial and managerial resources to provide local telephone service. The Commission granted the certificates of public convenience conditioned on the company complying with all provisions of the Public Utility Code.
Delaware-based Dark Air Corporation will provide resold and facilities-based services in non-rural areas primarily in Verizon and Verizon North service territories.
Access Point
, a North Carolina-based company, will provide local resold and facilities-based services in non-rural areas primarily to residential and business customers in Verizon, Verizon North and Sprint/United service territories.AT&T Broadband Phone
, a Delaware-based company, will provide local resold and facilities-based services in non-rural areas primarily to residential and business customers in Verizon and Verizon North service territories.Delaware-based AT&T Communications of PA will provide local resold and facilities-based services in non-rural areas primarily to residential and business customers in Verizon, Verizon North and Sprint/United service territories.
CLECs compete with local phone companies by packaging services and offering customer’s pricing plans tailored to their needs. Typical business services include direct inward dialing, call forwarding and transfer, and call pickup and intercom. Residential services include, for example, call waiting, caller-ID and speed dialing. CLECs may also sell cellular phone service.
Companies reach their customers in several ways. They can use the existing phone network to purchase services from the local phone company at wholesale rates approved by the PUC and then resell them to their customers. Some decide to build a new network and install telephone lines to connect to their customers. Others use a combination of the methods by leasing parts of the existing system and interconnecting the telecommunications equipment of the two companies.
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.
For recent news releases, or more information about the PUC, visit our Internet homepage:
http://puc.paonline.com.###
Dark Air Corporation Docket No. A-311157; A-311157F0002
Access Point, Inc. Docket No. A-310557F0002
AT&T Broadband Phone, LLC Docket No. A-311140; F0002; F0003
AT&T Communications of PA Docket No. A-311163; F0002; F0003; A-310125F2000
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Office of Communications
717-787-5722
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