News from the Oklahoma Corporation Commission

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma Corporation Commission decided Friday (Sept. 10) to consider changes in rules regarding what notice long-distance telephone service providers must give customers about rate increases.

A public hearing to consider more stringent customer notice rules for both interexchange carriers and resellers of interexchange services will be held at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 14 in Room 301, Jim Thorpe Building, 2102 N. Lincoln Blvd., Oklahoma City.

Interested parties may submit comments concerning the proposed rules changes at or before the hearing. Comments should be filed with commission's court clerk. The proposed rules are available for review on the Corporation Commission's Internet web page [www.occ.state.ok.us] and are available for downloading without charge.

The commission decided to consider strengthening customer notice rules after AT&T notified Oklahoma customers of certain rate increases nearly two months after the increases became effective.

Present rules do not require long-distance carriers to provide any public notice of rate increases if their bill includes a disclaimer that rates may be increased at any time without notice.

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