TELECOM Digest OnLine - Sorted: Re: Telephone Area Codes and Prefixes

Re: Telephone Area Codes and Prefixes

Neal McLain (nmclain@annsgarden.com)
Sun, 11 Feb 2007 08:48:14 -0500

Joe Tibiletti <joetib@cox.net> wrote:

> I have testified before the Public Utility Commission of
> Texas -- one of the last states to have this jurisdiction
> placed in one organization under state control.

I wrote:

> What do you mean by "one organization"?

> If you're referring to an organization that regulates all
> (or almost all) utilities, Texas isn't the only state ...

Wes Leatherock <Wesrock@aol.com> wrote:

> Joe is correct on his assertion that Texas was one of the last,
> if not the last, state to have a single regulatory body for
> telephone service (and some other public utilities).

> Until the 1960s, telephone regulation in Texas fell under city
> jurisdictioin, and there had to be a separate rate case, and
> separate negotiations, with each city.

Then I misread the original statement. To me, it implied that Texas
was one of the last states to retain state control, while other states
had relinquished state control. Perhaps the original statement should
have read:

> I have testified before the Public Utility Commission of
> Texas -- one of the last states to establish state
> regulation of landline telephone service by placing
> it under the state utility-regulatory organization.

Given my background in cable television, I well understand the
problems of dealing with "a separate rate case, and separate
negotiations, with each city." I've sat through endless negotiations
over some of the weirdest issues.

The City of Monona, Wisconsin once *prohibited* the sale of
converters, while the City of Madison *required* it. When the two
cable companies merged, both franchise agreements continued in force.
Until Monona changed its ordinance, the company could sell a converter
to a Madison resident, but not to a Monona resident. It could sell a
converter to *anybody* except a Monona resident -- even (to use the
favorite hypothetical) Snoopy's brother Spike.

The City of West Bend, Wisconsin once tried to prohibit per-channel
pricing for HBO; they wanted it included "free" with basic service.
(Yet today, we have John McCain arguing that all cable channels should
be priced "a-la-carte").

All in the name of "consumer protection" of course...

Neal McLain

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