Stevensville, MD - CloseCall America's President and CEO, Tom Mazerski submitted testimony to the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) supporting the complaint CloseCall filed against Verizon Maryland, Inc. in May, 2002.

The complaint charges that Verizon's refusal to resell -- or make available directly to the customers of its competitors -- voice messaging and line-sharing digital subscriber line (DSL) services, is "an unreasonable and anti-consumer practice that is contrary to Maryland law and public policy. Moreover, Verizon punishes consumers who switch to competitive local exchange services by abruptly disconnecting pre-existing voice messaging and DSL services."

In his testimony submitted on August 23, Mazerski charged that " ... Verizon's anti-competitive business practices and policies handicap CloseCall's marketing and customer retention efforts and unjustifiably restrict the freedom of Maryland consumers and small businesses to obtain the competitive telecommunications services that they desire from the vendor of their choice. Verizon has created a situation in which consumers associate switching carriers with telephone service interruptions and other problems."

CloseCall estimates that these practices prevent CloseCall from providing local service to approximately 10 percent of its potential new customers. To date, CloseCall has canceled approximately 1,300 new orders for local service. The company estimates that it has lost approximately $1 million in potential revenue because of these issues.

Specifically, Mazerski urged the PSC to do the following:

- Direct Verizon to provide its competitors wholesale access to voice messaging and line-sharing digital subscriber line (DSL) services just as it does with its other retail services such as call waiting and caller-ID.

- Direct Verizon to end its practice of abruptly disconnecting voice messaging and line-sharing DSL services if they choose to subscribe to CloseCall's local telephone service.

- Direct Verizon to immediately discontinue its discriminatory policy of refusing to provide voice messaging and line-sharing DSL services to customers who subscribe to competitive local telephone services.

CloseCall filed the formal complaint with the PSC against Verizon Maryland, Inc. on May 2, 2002. The PSC is scheduled to hold a hearing November 7-8.

 

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.

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