The Public Services Commission Monday approved charges for a variety of optional and long awaited new services to be offered by the Virgin Island Telephone Corp. Vitelco filed a tariff with the commission in December 1999 proposing to introduce the new features.
One of the most popular features is caller ID, which identifies the caller's phone number before the customer picks up the phone. Deluxe ID also includes the caller's name.
Though caller ID will soon be available here, it will only identify calls made on land lines in the Virgin Islands, not long-distance or cellular phone calls.
The PSC is required by law to review proposed charges by the territory's public service companies within 30 days. However, at a February hearing the board voted to extend the deadline so members could study the request and examine caller privacy.
The charges for caller ID and other services were approved Monday by a vote of 2-0, with two abstentions. Chairman Walter Challenger and Commissioner Alecia M. Wells voted yes. Desmond Maynard and Luther Renee abstained, and Patrick Williams and Cora Hill were absent.
Attorney Frederick G. Watts, PSC hearing examiner, and Anthony J. Zarillo, executive vice-president of AUS Consultants, a consulting firm hired by Challenger last year, testified that they approved of the charges.
Zarillo said he had investigated 22 long-distance companies in the U.S. mainland and found Vitelco's proposed charges to be in line with those. Watts said the fees "were appropriate."
Maynard challenged the investigation, saying that he wanted more time to examine the new fees and that he had never seen a copy of the investigation. Since the PSC has "been under public scrutiny for a long time," Maynard said he needed more time to make an "informed decision."
Challenger said some states don't have hearings when the issue is simply introducing new features. He said the matter had been around for about three years and the commission should give the public the new technology.
As for getting caller ID on long-distance calls and cell phones, Vitelco representatives said they were negotiating with Puerto Rico and other long-distance carriers but it had to be economically "feasible" to Vitelco.
Watts must now prepare the order for the new fees, and Challenger must sign it, before they go into effect. Watts said that should happen this week.
The new features include call return, repeat dialing, distinctive ringing and long-distance alert. They also include a call-blocking feature that protects the customer's identity. This feature is important to human service organizations because of the agency's commitment to protect the identity of its clients.
In other action, the commission granted Vitelco a 50 percent waiver for reimbursement to customers for interruption of service, from the former 150 percent to 100 percent. The service periods are from Nov. 17 to Jan. 15 for St. Thomas-St. John, and Nov. 17 to Jan. 31 for St. Croix.
This means that credits given to customers who were without service will be based on the severity of the damage to their area, according to Keithly Joseph, PSC executive director.
Ebbesen and Vitelco attorney Kevin Rames said St. Croix's service is now "almost normal," adding about 300 lines were still out on St. Croix from Hurricane Lenny. They said they expected the work to be completed within 60 to 90 days. In the meantime Ebbesen has committed to providing cell phones to Vitelco customers who have had severe problems, Joseph said.
Joseph said Vitelco's new features are available now, but customers have to go to the company's business office between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. to obtain information and sign up.
Here is a rundown of some of the monthly rates for the special features:
Custom Ringing Service (Teen Service)
One dependent – Residence $4.00
Two dependents – Residence $6.00
Three dependents – Residence $8.00
One dependent – Business . $5.60(R)
Two dependents – Business $8.40(R)
Three dependents – Business $11.20(R)
Caller ID Services
Caller ID Basic – Residence $5.50
Caller ID Basic – Business $7.00
Caller ID Deluxe – Residence $6.50
Caller ID Deluxe – Business $8.00
Call return – Residence $3.00
Call return – Business $4.00
Repeat dialing – Residence $3.00
Repeat dialing – Business $4.00
