DENVER-Regional Bell operating company U S West Inc. has been ordered by the Colorado Public Utilities Commission to give $150 monthly cellular-phone credit to Colorado residential and business customers who have waited more than 30 days for landline telephone installation.
Some 1,850 customers were waiting more than 30 days for phone service as of Sept. 30. U S West attributes the delays to a population surge that has spread across the state, making timely installation difficult.
When a customer has waited more than 30 days for service, U S West will be required to waive its installation charges and give credit for basic phone service equal to the amount of time the customer has waited past 30 days, said Teri Bote, a spokesperson for the PUC. Customers also have the option to spend up to $150 a month for cellular phone service with any provider they choose or use other services such as paging and call forwarding as an alternative.
The PUC rules also require U S West to install a second line within 30 days in homes that use an additional line for business. The $150 cellular-phone voucher will apply to the second line as well.
Debbie Thomas, a spokeswoman for the company, said U S West will not decide whether to appeal the PUC’s decision until the commission releases a written ruling. If U S West does not challenge the order, it will go into effect Dec. 30. The company had been offering the $150 cellular-phone vouchers as an alternative since May on a trial basis.
