IntraLATA No More: CenturyLink to Halt Local Long Distance Service in Oregon

After months of review, the Oregon Public Utility Commission (PUC), in concert with CUB’s and other industry stakeholders’ assessment, granted CenturyLink’s request to stop providing IntraLATA (local long distance) service in certain areas of Oregon served by rural local phone companies (rural Incumbent Local Exchange Providers (ILECs). As a consequence, local long distance customers in these areas (calling, for example, from Gervais to Portland) either have already, or will in the very near future, receive notice by mail explaining that they must choose a new local long distance provider. It is important to note, however, that CenturyLink will continue to provide local long distance service to its own local service customers. So if customers haven’t received a notice from their local service carrier, or don’t receive one in the next thirty or so days, they’re likely not affected by this change.

Local long distance calls are calls that are made to an area outside of a customer’s local calling area, but approximately within a half-state region called a LATA. Long distance calls between LATAs are often referred to as interstate long distance and are not affected by this decision. To view a map of the three LATAs which current serve Oregon, follow this link.

By way of background: CenturyLink has, up until now, functioned as the default provider for local long distance service in areas of Oregon served by rural phone companies. Some customers may be receiving local long distance from CenturyLink without even realizing it; other customers are having it provided by a long distance company. CenturyLink made the case that they should no longer be the carrier of last resort for local long distance service in certain rural Oregon exchanges because they’re providing it at a financial loss, and there is robust competition in the marketplace so that customers will not be harmed by relieving CenturyLink of its default obligation. After extensive analysis, CUB agreed with CenturyLink’s evaluation. The PUC ultimately approved CenturyLink’s request subject to conditions agreed upon by CUB, PUC Staff, and other stakeholders.

Customers in affected areas who received their local long distance through CenturyLink, and are interested in continuing this service, must now choose a new provider by the date specified in their notice. CUB’s CUB Connects program is the perfect resource to help customers make this decision. If a new service provider isn’t chosen by the date in the notice, either (a) the customer’s long distance provider will be automatically assigned as his or her local long distance provider, or (b) if the customer doesn’t have a long distance provider, he or she won’t be able to place a local long distance call until an alternate provider is selected. This means that for some customers, failure to select a new local long distance provider in the coming weeks could result in a service disruption until a new provider is chosen.

The key takeaways for customers:

• This decision ONLY affects SOME local long distance customers around the State, and does not affect wireless phone service or phone service provided by a cable company.
• Phone companies that previously worked with CenturyLink to deliver local long distance are required to offer customers an unbiased list of optional service providers.
• CUB Connects is a unique resource available to Oregon customers to help them decipher bundled and unbundled telephone and other telecommunication packages.
• Affected customers should carefully read their notice, because a failure to respond by the date listed could result in a service disruption until a new selection is made.
• Affected customers who receive long distance through their landline, and fail to select a new local long distance provider by the deadline, will be assigned local long distance service through their long distance provider.

It’s important to know that CUB is here to support the public by answering any questions or concerns regarding this recent development. Contact the CUB Connects Helpline (toll-free) at:1-855-892-4314 with any such inquiries.

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