By Mike Boyer
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Cincinnati Bell Inc. is continuing its push north, introducing its bundle of telephone services in Springfield, Ohio, east of Dayton.

The company, which in March launched residential service in Dayton in the largest expansion of its local service area, said the move into Springfield, a city of 65,000 about 20 minutes east of Dayton off Interstate 70, was a logical next step.

Ron Sweeney, general manager of Cincinnati Bell's Greater Dayton area, said Springfield and Dayton are considered one market area.

And unlike Dayton, which is a highly competitive telephone market with 11 companies offering service, he said, Springfield is relatively underserved.

"It's a lot like Middletown in that regard," he said. Middletown and Monroe were part of Bell's expansion to Dayton, where it has offered wireless service for six years.

SBC Communications is the incumbent local service provider in Springfield, the home of Wittenberg University and county seat of Clark County.

Sweeney said Cincinnati Bell isn't disclosing how many customers it has signed since launching service in Dayton two months ago.

He said Bell and SBC are the only providers offering local, long-distance and wireless on a single bill.

Bell is offering unlimited local, long-distance and wireless service for a flat monthly fee of $89.99. The company had offered that package for $94.99, but cut its price last week.

As part of the Springfield expansion, Bell has opened a retail kiosk at the Upper Valley Mall outside Springfield.

E-mail mboyer@enquirer.com