September 20, 2005

The Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) today approved a plan to expand Upper Peninsula Telephone Company’s local calling plan and rates.  The company filed an application for authority to offer the expanded local calling plan on July 8 and revised it on July 21.

The plan expands the following local calling areas:

Customers in the Amble exchange will be able to make local calls to the Coral, Howard City, Lakeview, and Morley exchanges, in addition to the Amble exchange.

Customers in the Carney exchange will be able to make local calls to the Bark River, Escanaba, Faithorn, Hermansville, Powers, Stephenson, and Wallace exchanges, in addition to the Carney exchange.

Customers in the Chester exchange will be able to make local calls to the Gaylord, Grayling, and Lewiston exchanges, in addition to the Chester exchange.

Customers in the Donken exchange will be able to make local calls to the Alston, Mass, Ontonogan and Tapiola exchanges, in addition to the Donken and Houghton exchanges.

Customers in the Drummond Island exchange will be able to make local calls to the Cedarville, Kinross, Pickford, Sault Ste. Marie and St. Ignace exchanges, in addition to the Drummond Island and DeTour exchanges.

Customers in the Faithorn exchange will be able to make local calls to the Carney, Hermansville and Norway exchanges, in addition to the Faithorn exchange.

Customers in the Felch exchange will be able to make local calls to the Bark River, Channing, Cornell, Gwinn, Hermansville, Iron Mountain, Michigamme Forest, Norway, Powers, Republic, and Watson exchanges, in addition to the Felch exchange.

Customers in the Fence River exchange will be able to make local calls to the Amasa, Channing, Crystal Falls, L’Anse, Michigamme Forest, Republic, and Watton exchanges, in addition to the Fence River exchange.

Customers in the Grace Harbor exchange will be able to make local calls to the Cheboygan, Onaway, and Rogers City exchanges, in addition to the Grace Harbor exchange.

Customers in the Lake Gogebic exchange will be able to make local calls to the Bergland, Bruce Crossing, Ewan and Watersmeet exchanges, in addition to the Lake Gogebic and Marenisco exchanges.

Customers in the Manistee River exchange will be able to make local calls to the Grayling, Higgins Lake, Kalkaska, Lake of the North, Mancelona, Moorestown and South Boardman exchanges, in addition to the Manistee River exchange.

Customers in the Marenisco exchange will be able to make local calls to the Bergland, Bessemer, Bruce Crossing, Ironwood, Wakefield and Watersmeet exchanges, in addition to the Marenisco and Lake Gogebic exchanges.

Customers in the Michigamme Forest exchange will be able to make local calls to the Gwinn, Ishpeming, Negaunee, Republic, Felch, and Watson exchanges, in addition to the Michigamme Forest exchange.

Customers in the North Land O’ Lakes exchange will be able to make local calls to the Golden Lake, Smoky Lake and Watersmeet exchanges, in addition to the North Land O’ Lakes, Land O’ Lakes (Wisconsin) and Eagle River (Wisconsin) exchanges.

Customers in the Rexton exchange will be able to make local calls to the Brevort, Eckerman, Engadine, Hulbert, Newberry, and Trout Lake exchanges, in addition to Rexton exchange.

Customers in the Scott Point exchange will be able to make local calls to the Engadine and Gulliver exchanges, in addition to the Scott Point exchange.

Customers in the Smoky Lake exchange will be able to make local calls to the Golden Lake, Iron River and North Land O’ Lakes exchanges, in addition to the Smoky Lake, Phelps (Wisconsin) and Eagle River (Wisconsin) exchanges.

Customers in the Wallace exchange will be able to make local calls to the Carney, Escanaba and Menominee exchanges, in addition to the Wallace and Stephenson exchanges.

Customers in the Watson exchange will be able to make local calls to the Cornell, Gwinn, Rock, Felch, and Michigamme Forest exchanges, in addition to the Watson exchange.

The company also proposed to increase rates by $6.95 during the first year of the plan, and then increase rates by an additional $1 in the second year of the plan and an additional $1 in the third year of the plan.  Under the proposal, customers would also receive 2,000 minutes-of-use (MOU) per line per month for calls made to the expanded local calling area, with MOU in excess of 2,000 per line per month charged at 5 cents per minute.  The 5-cent charge would only apply to calls made to the expanded local calling area – not the present calling area.

The MPSC approved the expanded local calling plan and rates, as modified by the MSPC, to be in the public interest.

The MPSC is an agency within the Department of Labor & Economic Growth.

Case No. U-14588