VERIZON FIGHTS PLAN TO END LONG DISTANCE IN OKLAHOMA

摘要

An Oklahoma proposal for a statewide toll-free calling plan is "fundamentally flawed" andnshould be set aside in favor of a "more targeted solution," Verizon told the CorporationnCommission. The plan would bar "an entire class of competitors - - interexchange carriers --nfrom serving an admittedly competitive market," the company said. The plan, from thencommission staff, would make all in-state calls toll-free, and a surcharge on customers'nmonthly bills would cover the resulting loss to competitive carriers, estimated at $118 millionnannually. The surcharge would underwrite a new fund replacing the Oklahoma High Cost Fund.nThe commission has set a March 29 vote on whether to send the plan to the Legislature.