California Commission Criticizes Deteriorating SBC and Verizon Service Records

The California Public Utilities Commission (PUC) released a preliminary finding critical of the customer service records of SBC and Verizon. SBC serves approximately 70% of wireline telephone customers in California. Verizon operates local networks in the former GTE territories, including the Los Angeles region. The finding was based on several types of data, including PUC and Federal Communications Commission (FCC) mandated reports, informal and formal complaints, and customer surveys to determine how the performance of SBC and Verizon has fared in the 12 years since the PUC instituted a "New Regulatory Framework" that aimed at promoting lower costs, innovation and price stability by reducing government regulation. The PUC expressed concern that customers and service quality would be hurt if the carriers cut costs too deeply. The PUC must now consider what regulatory actions it should take to address the service quality problems identified.
http://www.cpuc.ca.gov