Ore. PUC Approves CenturyLink Price Plan With Changes

The Oregon Public Utility Commission conditionally approved a settlement between Lumen’s CenturyLink and PUC staff on a successor price plan. Chair Megan Decker and Commissioner Letha Tawney, the PUC’s only members, signed the order Friday in docket UM 1908. While largely supporting the agreement, the commission said it shared "some of the broader public interest concerns" that the Oregon Citizens’ Utilities Board and Lumen customer Priscilla Weaver raised (see 2310250014). The commission directed the parties to revise the plan to explicitly say the company will maintain a 24/7 dedicated customer phone line, with certain requirements. The line should let callers report multiple addresses and the company should treat trouble tickets opened there as high priority. Also, the company should provide a monthly report on contacts through the line, it said. The Oregon PUC outlined other expectations. "CenturyLink is expected to include in its monthly [federal Rural Digital Opportunities Fund] build report any potential delays or issues … that could cause the project to continue past December 31, 2024, and corrective steps the company is taking," it said. PUC staff “is expected to monitor CenturyLink’s reports, as well as customer complaints, and raise any issues with the Commission as soon as possible, particularly with regards to health and safety issues or localized, chronic issues that may not be reflected immediately in the metrics.”