Stevensville, MD - CloseCall America, a telecommunications company specializing in low-priced community
calling, today announced that it has just begun offering voice mail service to local telephone service customers
in Delaware. Under the interconnection agreement approved by the Delaware Public Service Commission (PSC) in
November -- which establishes the rates CloseCall will pay to use Verizon's lines -- Verizon is required to
resell its voice mail service to CloseCall.
"The Delaware Public Service Commission's decision to require Verizon to resell its voice mail service is a victory for consumers," said Tom Mazerski, President and CEO of CloseCall America.CloseCall America filed an application with the Delaware PSC in June, 2001 seeking permission to offer local telephone service to Delaware residents and small businesses and was granted conditional approval in September. CloseCall America began offering local service in the state on November 26, after the interconnection agreement was approved.
"It means that Delaware consumers cannot be held hostage by Verizon as they are in Maryland and New Jersey where the company refuses to resell its voice mail service. Verizon uses this as a competitive weapon against smaller companies which ultimately prevents consumers, who rely on voice mail, from switching carriers and saving money."
Customers who choose to switch their local service to CloseCall America can keep their same telephone numbers and will see no difference in the quality of service because CloseCall uses Verizon's technicians and lines.
Launched in 1999, CloseCall America offers local, long distance, digital wireless, Internet and a number of other value-added services such as Call Waiting and Caller ID, primarily in Delaware, Maryland and New Jersey. All of these services can be billed on one statement making payment and bookkeeping much easier. The company recently reached a major milestone with the connection of its 100,000th line and expects to double this result over the next year.
CloseCall America's focus is community calling - in state calls and calls across state lines that are often extremely expensive. For example, calls from Wilmington to Philadelphia can cost up to 22 cents a minute - much more than a call to California. To address this problem, and eliminate these imaginary borders and high rates, CloseCall's long distance calling plans are designed as multiple-state footprints, providing consumers with plans that fit their lifestyles and calling patterns. Residents can call anywhere in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C. and Virginia for a flat rate of 5.5 cents/minute.
About CloseCall America
CloseCall America, which began business in 1999, is a Maryland company with offices in Queen Anne’s County on the state’s Eastern Shore. CloseCall prides itself on its commitment to superior customer service, with all calls handled locally rather than “outsourced” to firms in other states or countries. CloseCall provides its customers local and long distance phone service, bundled packages, wireless service, BlackBerry service, high speed Internet, standard dial-up, and VoIP (broadband phone service). Additional information on CloseCall America can be found at its website: www.closecall.com.
For further information, including how to sign up, please contact CloseCall America at 1-877-81CLOSE (1-877-812-5673), or by email at customerservice@closecall.com.
