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COMMISSIONERS John G. Strand, Chairman David A. Svanda |
CONTACTS Dorothy Wideman Mary Jo Kunkle (517) 334-6983 |
LANSING, April 12. The Michigan Public Service Commission found today that CenturyTel of Michigan, Inc. violated the Michigan Telecommunications Act by rating local calls as toll calls and discriminating against competitive local exchange carriers and their customers. The Commission fined CenturyTel $26,000 for these violations and, additionally, ordered the company to pay reasonable attorney fees and costs for the complainant and BRE Communications L.L.C., d/b/a Phone Michigan. Today's action concludes a complaint filed by Glenda Bierman against CenturyTel, alleging that the company had billed her more than $2,500 in toll charges for local calls, most to MSEN, an Internet service provider. The telephone number Ms. Bierman used to access MSEN is assigned to Phone Michigan in the Monroe telephone exchange. Ms. Bierman's calls originated from the Newport telephone exchange which is a local call under CenturyTel's Extended Area Service tariff. CenturyTel has been directed to rebill disputed calls by Ms. Bierman as local rather than toll calls. The Commission also ordered the company to make refunds to each of its similarly situated customers.
The Commission concluded that CenturyTel discriminated by failing to complete telephone calls to Phone Michigan's customers without toll charges when it permits the same service to Ameritech Michigan's customers without toll charges. The Commission also found that CenturyTel discriminated by requiring its customers to dial 11 digits to place a local telephone call to Phone Michigan customers in the Monroe exchange rather than 7 digit dialing as it permits for calls from its customers to Ameritech Michigan customers in that exchange.
"The Michigan Telecommunications Act does not permit this type of discriminatory and anticompetitive conduct," said Chairman John Strand. "The Commission sends a message today that it will take the appropriate steps under the law to ensure that consumers and competitors are protected from this behavior." CenturyTel and Phone Michigan are headquartered in Monroe, Louisiana and Grandville, Michigan respectively.
The MPSC is an agency within the Department of Consumer and Industry Services.
Case No. U-11821
April 12, 1999
(MPSC fines CenturyTel of Michigan, Inc. for MTA violations)
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