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GEORGIA PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION 
 
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Commissioners: Mac Barber, Chairman 
 
David N. Baker 
 
Robert B. Baker 
 
Bob Durden 
 
Stan Wise 
 
NEWS RELEASE 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 31, 1998 
CONTACT: Shawn Davis Public Information Officer (404) 656-6558 or 1-800-282-5813 
 
PHONE CUSTOMERS TO BE BALLOTTED ON LARGER TOLL-FREE CALLING AREAS 
Ballots to be mailed March 31 
ATLANTA-- Over the next few days telephone customers in hundreds of cities throughout Georgia will receive ballots from the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) seeking public opinion on whether to raise basic service rates in exchange for expanded toll-free calling to nearby communities. In addition to the 1100 calling routes to be considered through balloting, 77 routes are expected to go into effect automatically. 
Legislation passed last year by the General Assembly in House Bi11888 calls for the PSC to implement toll-free calling between communities where the central telephone offices are twenty-two (22) miles or less apart. While the approved routes may be tollfree, an increase in basic service rates may be necessary to compensate telephone companies for the loss in toll revenue. 
Pursuant to H.B. 888, the PSC will automatically implement routes where the basic service rate increase is less than $2.00 or 25% of the basic monthly rate. Where increases are greater than $2.00, ballots are sent out to telephone customers listing the proposed rate increase and the new exchanges that consumers would be able to call if the measure were approved. The ballots will be mailed March 31 and need to be completed and received by the PSC no later than April18, 1998. 
"Customers who regularly call into the proposed exchanges will most likely save money and should consider voting for the measure," said Commissioner Bobby Baker. "However, if a customer rarely calls into the proposed exchange, the rate increase may be greater than what the customer normally pays in long distance charges every month," he added. 
"If the majority of customers in each community return ballots in favor of the measure, toll-free calling will begin by June 1,"said Commissioner Baker. 
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Note to Media: Basic service rate increases for all the BeiiSouth exchanges are not expected to be higher than $2.00. However, the actual increase will depend upon the ballot results of independent telephone company routes. Information on the independent telephone company routes that will be balloted, as well as the proposed rate changes, 
can be found on the PSC web site at www.psc.state.ga.us/ballots.