fails to connect with GTE

By JAINE TREADWELL

BRUNDIDGE – Those who came to the town meeting at Ft. Wendell K, Taylor National Guard Armory in Brundidge Thursday night came hoping to hear that their telephone company, GTE, would respond favorably to the pleas and frustrations of the "little people"along its line.

They didn’t hear what they wanted.

Instead, they heard a spiel for the company’s new "calling plan" which is no more than long distance charges for what the residents of Banks said should be local calls.

The town meeting with GTE officials and the Alabama Public Service Commission was initiated by Rep. Alan Boothe in response to the concerns of country residents who are customers of GTE.

George C. Wallace, Jr. commissioner of the Alabama Public Service Commission, said he has a deep affection for the people who are residents in rural areas.

"We must make sure those who live in rural areas are able to take advantage of the technology that is available to us today," Wallace said.

Wallace’s comment drew applause from crowd which was heavily Banks area residents.

From the beginning of telephone service in Pike County, the small, rural town of Banks has been isolated from the rest of the county by its 243 exchange. Any call outside Banks proper was and is long distance. The number of people Banks residents can call without calling long distance is limited "to my mother-in-law across the street," one resident quipped.

"All we’ve ever wanted was to be able to call seven miles up or down the road," said Banks resident Jimmy Senn.

A member of the Banks delegation said it is a shame to have to call long distance to get a doctor or the hospital when it’s only seven miles away.

The seemingly simple request for Banks to be connected "locally" to its neighbors simply won’t happen.

Del Thompson, GTE general manager, customer operations, would only say that the exchanges were set up a long time ago and that to run lines to connect Banks to their neighboring towns seven miles away would be almost cost prohibitive.

Kathy Cook got little satisfaction from the meeting and was vocal in telling representatives from GTE that, if ever given a choice of a local telephone carrier, "We don’t want GTE!"

The up side of the meeting was the company’s new plan that comes into effect this month.

With the new plan, Banks will be able to call around the county for a fee ranging from $10.50 to $35 if they choose one of the local calling plans.

"If we don’t choose a plan, "We’ll still be cut off from the world." Cook said.

Joy Conn, GTE public affairs manager, explained that the LATAwide local calling plan is based on geographic calling scopes and features uniform rates and conditions statewide.

The LATA area for Pike County is far reaching and includes Montgomery, Dothan, Enterprise, Andalusia and as far west as Marengo.

GTE customers will have a choice of keeping the current local basic rate option of a flat rate of $16.38, single line residential or converting to a LATAwide calling local calling plan.

The local calling plan has three options – the basic plan, the community plus plan or the premium calling plan-block of time and at a cost of $10.50, $20.50 and $35.

Those who questioned Conn indicated that they considered the calling plans GTE’s way of "charging for local calls."

However, several Banks residents did get some satisfaction in that they will now be able to call Troy without it being long distance.

The Banks issue was not the only one brought before the GTE panel and the members of the Alabama Public Service Commission.

Concerns about service and the cost of business service were aired.

"When the wind blows, our phones go out," said Flake Tatom. "When it rains, our phones go out and if we ever get a service call through, they tell us go outside and look up the pole. What do they think we could see!"

Jack Taylor and Judy Carter expressed concern about the cost of having of having several lines come into a small business and also about the service rendered.

A question and answer period resulted in more questions than answers but Wallace said the public service commission did hear the concerns of the citizens of rural Pike County and he would lead the way in continuing to work on these areas of concern.

BRUNDIDGE – Those who came to the town meeting at Ft. Wendell K, Taylor National Guard Armory in Brundidge Thursday night came hoping to hear that their telephone company, GTE, would respond favorably to the pleas and frustrations of the "little people"along its line.

They didn’t hear what they wanted.

Instead, they heard a spiel for the company’s new "calling plan" which is no more than long distance charges for what the residents of Banks said should be local calls.

The town meeting with GTE officials and the Alabama Public Service Commission was initiated by Rep. Alan Boothe in response to the concerns of country residents who are customers of GTE.

George C. Wallace, Jr. commissioner of the Alabama Public Service Commission, said he has a deep affection for the people who are residents in rural areas.

"We must make sure those who live in rural areas are able to take advantage of the technology that is available to us today," Wallace said.

Wallace’s comment drew applause from crowd which was heavily Banks area residents.

From the beginning of telephone service in Pike County, the small, rural town of Banks has been isolated from the rest of the county by its 243 exchange. Any call outside Banks proper was and is long distance. The number of people Banks residents can call without calling long distance is limited "to my mother-in-law across the street," one resident quipped.

"All we’ve ever wanted was to be able to call seven miles up or down the road," said Banks resident Jimmy Senn.

A member of the Banks delegation said it is a shame to have to call long distance to get a doctor or the hospital when it’s only seven miles away.

The seemingly simple request for Banks to be connected "locally" to its neighbors simply won’t happen.

Del Thompson, GTE general manager, customer operations, would only say that the exchanges were set up a long time ago and that to run lines to connect Banks to their neighboring towns seven miles away would be almost cost prohibitive.

Kathy Cook got little satisfaction from the meeting and was vocal in telling representatives from GTE that, if ever given a choice of a local telephone carrier, "We don’t want GTE!"

The up side of the meeting was the company’s new plan that comes into effect this month.

With the new plan, Banks will be able to call around the county for a fee ranging from $10.50 to $35 if they choose one of the local calling plans.

"If we don’t choose a plan, "We’ll still be cut off from the world." Cook said.

Joy Conn, GTE public affairs manager, explained that the LATAwide local calling plan is based on geographic calling scopes and features uniform rates and conditions statewide.

The LATA area for Pike County is far reaching and includes Montgomery, Dothan, Enterprise, Andalusia and as far west as Marengo.

GTE customers will have a choice of keeping the current local basic rate option of a flat rate of $16.38, single line residential or converting to a LATAwide calling local calling plan.

The local calling plan has three options – the basic plan, the community plus plan or the premium calling plan-block of time and at a cost of $10.50, $20.50 and $35.

Those who questioned Conn indicated that they considered the calling plans GTE’s way of "charging for local calls."

However, several Banks residents did get some satisfaction in that they will now be able to call Troy without it being long distance.

The Banks issue was not the only one brought before the GTE panel and the members of the Alabama Public Service Commission.

Concerns about service and the cost of business service were aired.

"When the wind blows, our phones go out," said Flake Tatom. "When it rains, our phones go out and if we ever get a service call through, they tell us go outside and look up the pole. What do they think we could see!"

Jack Taylor and Judy Carter expressed concern about the cost of having of having several lines come into a small business and also about the service rendered.

A question and answer period resulted in more questions than answers but Wallace said the public service commission did hear the concerns of the citizens of rural Pike County and he would lead the way in continuing to work on these areas of concern.