PUC hosting events to hear about Oregonians’ phone service needs

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The Oregon Public Utility Commission is hosting public comment hearings via webinar on Thursday, May 28, and by telephone conference on Tuesday, June 9. Both events will be held at 6 p.m. PST.

These public comment hearings provide an opportunity for the Commissioners to hear directly from Oregonians who use residential landline or cellular phone service.

“We encourage Oregon residents to take part in these public events to let us know about the quality of their telecommunications service and whether they have access to the services they and their community need to thrive,” said Megan Decker, PUC Chair. “Public comments will inform our continuing investigation into telecommunications services and the report we submit to the Legislature later this year.”

HB 3065, which passed in the 2019 Legislative session, directed the PUC to establish a public process to investigate the continuing relevance of the “carrier of last resort” or COLR obligation on the state’s telecommunications providers given the recent changes in technology and policy in the industry. The COLR obligation requires telephone companies to provide access to telephone service in their designated service territory without discrimination.

Individuals are encouraged to participate in one of the following public comment hearings:

• Thursday, May 28 at 6 p.m. PST – Webinar

Register in advance at: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1466367387315570445. Once registered, participants will receive a confirmation email containing details to join the webinar.

• Tuesday, June 9 at 6 p.m. PST - Teleconference

To participate, call 866-390-1828, and enter access code 2252868#.

For those unable to participate in this webinar or teleconference, comments may be submitted in the following ways:

• Take the PUC’s Telecommunications Service Survey at: https://arcg.is/1CHbz
• By email - PUC.PublicComments@state.or.us  
• By phone - 503-378-6600 or 800-522-2404 (TTY or dial 711)
• By mail – Oregon Public Utility Commission, Attn: AHD – HB 3065/COLR, PO Box 1088, Salem OR 97308-1088

To learn more about the PUC’s COLR investigation, visit https://www-auth.oregon.egov.com/puc/utilities/Pages/Telecom-Carrier-of-Last-Resort.aspx.

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The Oregon Public Utility Commission (PUC) regulates customer rates and services of the state’s investor-owned electric, natural gas and telephone utilities, as well as select water companies.  The PUC mission is to ensure Oregon utility customers have access to safe, reliable, and high quality utility services at just and reasonable rates, which is accomplished through thorough analysis and independent decision-making conducted in an open and fair process.