Wednesday, January 12, 2000
Ameritech lowers telephone rates
The Associated Press
COLUMBUS — Ameritech, Ohio's largest local telephone company — which provides service in northeast Butler and northwest Warren counties — has announced a cut of 15 cents a month in its basic service rate, the 11th such decrease since 1995.
The cut means that Ohio's residential customers will pay $14.25 a month for basic service, down from $14.40, Ameritech said in a news release Monday.
The cut is part of an agreement to reduce rates that the company reached in 1995 with the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio and the Ohio Office of Consumers' Counsel, which represents residential customers in rate cases.
In return for the rate cuts, Ameritech was freed from PUCO reviews of its earnings, commission spokeswoman Beth Gianforcaro said.
“We wanted to ensure that a captive ratepayer of basic local service was protected,” she said.
Since 1995, Ameritech has lowered rates by more than $120 million. The cost of basic service has been reduced from $17.25 a month in 1985 to $14.25 currently, the company said.
Ameritech merged last year with San Antonio-based SBC Communications. The merged company controls about one-third of the nation's telephone lines.
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