Today’s cell phone….tomorrow’s upgrade…..the newest app; The multi-million dollar effort to expand high speed internet service in rural areas—Almost lost in all the high-tech talk is the good old land line telephone.
The Public Service Commission has told its staff to investigate the quality of service provided by land line telephone companies. The legislature passed a law a couple of years ago letting phone companies get out from under PSC rules on service quality. The PSC staff wonders if service quality issues have developed since then. Telecommunications Department Manager John Van Eschen says the public has complained about slowness in response to service troubles and about reoccurring problems.
He says complaints have come from urban as well as rural areas. He and his staff members will look at whether proper testing, preventive maintenance, and timely replacement of facilities have lessened since the law was passed.
Van Eschen says phone companies have two months to respond to requests for information. He hopes to have a report to the commission by the end of the year.
