Licensing and Regulatory Affairs Michigan issued the following announcement on June 10.
The Michigan Public Service Commission today concluded its efforts to ensure that customers of a telephone service provider seeking to discontinue operating in Michigan were able to find alternative providers of basic local phone service (Case No. U-20623).
Talk America Services, LLC, (TAS) filed notice in August 2019 that it wanted to discontinue service for about 4,600 customers in Michigan. While the Commission found that TAS complied with state and federal requirements for serving notice of discontinuance of service, the Commission also received a dozen complaints from customers saying they were unable to find alternative providers of comparable voice service with reliable access to 911 and emergency services.
The Commission launched an investigation in December, directing all incumbent local exchange carriers and competitive local exchange carriers operating in TAS’s service area to file statements with the MPSC listing all of the specific types of comparable voice service with reliable access to 911 and emergency services that they provide in that service area. More than 80 providers responded, and the MPSC published a list of alternative providers for customers to consider.
This marked the first time that the Commission used provisions of the Michigan Telecommunications Act, updated in 2014, to launch an investigation to ensure customers would be able to find an alternative provider of comparable service. If a provider seeks to discontinue service, and at least one suitable alternative is not available to customers, the law gives the MPSC the authority to require the provider to continue providing service until a comparable alternative is available.
The case underscores the importance of a safety net established under state law to ensure no customers in Michigan are left without access to telephone service that includes 911 and emergency services. The protections are particularly critical as telecommunications technology undergoes a significant transformation away from traditional landline phones toward more wireless and broadband-based communications services. These services are vital to connecting Michiganders to their families, friends and communities and opportunities in education, health, government services and employment.
“We take seriously our commitment to ensuring Michiganders have access to basic local phone service, 911 and emergency services,” MPSC Chairman Sally Talberg said. “We’re pleased that the process in this case was handled smoothly and resulted in all of these customers of TAS who filed complaints with the Commission being transitioned to alternative telecommunications providers.”
TAS provided notice to the MPSC on April 27 that it no longer has any Michigan customers. MPSC Staff then notified the Commission that all customer complaints had been resolved and the MPSC’s investigation completed, and therefore recommended closing the docket in this case. The Commission today ordered the case closed.
Original source can be found here.
Source: Licensing and Regulatory Affairs Michigan
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