Consolidated Urges Moving Ahead on Maine Rate Center Merger

It’s time that Maine rate centers combine, Consolidated Communications said in comments Friday at the Maine Public Utilities Commission. The PUC received comments in docket 2023-00009 about next steps on a proposal that would save the state’s 207 area code from number exhaustion by combining Consolidated's multiple rate centers into one (see 2309220060). Stop treating Consolidated like "a petitioner trying to seek relief,” the company said as other parties requested additional information about the plan. Consolidated said it "has been treated as though it bears the burden of proving that the proposal to help preserve the area code is in the public good, while the truth is the Commission has already made that determination." Other parties seek more detail despite offering no "concrete reason why it is problematic," said the telco: Consolidated lacks additional information and “cannot continue to spend time and resources on a project that was initiated to assist the Commission and the state and that is not a corporate priority.” Comcast sought an updated timeline with more detail on "required steps during the final implementation stage.” The PUC should seek input from the North American numbering plan administrator, it added. The Telecommunications Association of Maine requested direct talks between its members and Consolidated "to discuss the implementation, changes and concerns associated with the contemplated rate center consolidation.” Maine’s Office of the Public Advocate asked the PUC to make Consolidated file “a quantitative description of costs including possible operational efficiencies and long-term operational cost savings, and how Consolidated would plan to recover the costs for the work."