THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, November 15, 1995 TAG: 9511150196
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: D2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DAVE MAYFIELD, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Short : 36 lines
GTE Corp.'s rate-restructuring proposal for its Virginia service territory will be the subject of a series of public hearings planned by the State Corporation Commission, the the regulating body announced Tuesday.
GTE has proposed greatly expanding the local calling areas of most of its Virginia customers, including those in southeastern Virginia. Most of them, however, would pay higher basic monthly rates for local phone service. GTE, the state's second-largest local phone company behind Bell Atlantic Corp., also wants to increase charges for directory assistance and pay-phone calls.
The SCC said GTE's proposal generated nearly 21,000 opposing letters and petition signatures from customers, a 98 percent negative response rate. But GTE and the commission said customers in Chesapeake, Virginia Beach and Suffolk generally supported the planned changes while customers in Isle of Wight County were somewhat evenly divided, pro and con.
GTE could put the changes in effect Jan. 1, but if the commission rejects the proposals, the phone company would have to issue refunds.
Industry sources said GTE has been considering refiling its application with some changes from the original proposal. Lacy Yeatts, a GTE spokeswoman, said Tuesday, however, that the company hadn't made a decision on that matter.
Of the seven planned hearing sites, the closest to Hampton Roads will be March 6, 1996, at 3:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the Franklin High School Auditorium in Franklin. by CNB