Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, March 16, 1990                   TAG: 9003152338
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV3   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: New River Valley bureau
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG                                 LENGTH: Short

PHONE RATES TO GO UP

Flat-rate residential customers with basic service will pay $12.13 a month, an increase of 35 cents. There will be no increase for those with message rate or economy service, two billing plans for people who make few calls.

Business customers, whose basic rate is $38.95, will pay $3.40 more, but businesses with message rate service will pay 25 cents less a month. The decrease is to bring that rate more in line with what it costs to offer the service, said Ed Beckley, a C&P official in Richmond.

The increases, which took effect Thursday, were caused by growth, C&P officials said.

The company has eight rate groups with costs based on how many phone numbers can be reached within a local calling area.

The increase occurred because Christiansburg was bumped to a larger group - 50,001 to 100,000 phones.

Northern Virginia has the largest local calling area and the highest basic flat rate, $15.13 a month, said Steve Bradley of the company's rates and tariffs department. Those in the smallest group - 4,000 or fewer phones - pay $8.62.

The changes affect customers in the 381 and 382 exchanges. Their local calling area includes Blacksburg, Radford and Shawsville.