ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, April 26, 1997 TAG: 9704280027
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG
SOURCE: MARK CLOTHIER
Starting Thursday, Bell Atlantic's Christiansburg customers will have a newer, cheaper way to pay for calls to Willis, Floyd and the Floyd County community of Ballard.
But first, Christiansburg phone customers, those with numbers beginning with 381 and 382, will have some choosing to do. A plan called Community Choice expands Christiansburg's local calling, but won't increase basic monthly rates like the April 1 extension of the local calling zone to Roanoke did, said Paul Miller, a Bell Atlantic spokesman.
The Community Choice Plan will be 80 percent cheaper than what customers pay now for calls to those areas, Miller said.
The choices include a flat-rate option, a timed message option and an option based on how long the calls are. Miller said a letter explaining these options has been sent to Christiansburg customers, who will have six months to settle on one of the three plans.
The choices are:
Per-minute: this is similar to long-distance calling, where you pay by the minute. A call to Floyd, Ballard or Willis for a Christiansburg customer would be 7.9 cents for the first minute; 4.5 cents for each additional minute.
Timed message: Calls would be 20 cents for the first five minutes and 20 cents for each additional five minutes or fraction thereof.
Unlimited calling: In addition to your monthly rate, there would be a charge of $15 per month for each residential line; $26 per month for each business line.
The options are also described on page 13 of the Bell Atlantic Montgomery County phone book. If a customer chooses none of the options, the per-minute option would be assigned.
LENGTH: Short : 40 linesby CNB