Input sought on operator-assisted phone calls

The Montana Public Service Commission is requesting public input as it considers changes to the maximum rates on in-state phone calls placed through an operator.

“The use of [operator-service providers] has declined in recent years due to the advancement of mobile technology and web-based search,” the commissioners stated in a Monday press release. “However, operator-assisted calls remain common in places where customers do not have ready access to a cellphone, including rural areas and state and local correctional facilities.”

House Bill 426, sponsored by Rep. Jean Price, D-Bozeman, capped rates for in-state, inmate calling at 10 cents per minute, but the law only applies to calls placed from state prisons. Rates charged to inmates at city or county correctional facilities remain subject to rate caps set by the state utility board.

The commission is asking for feedback on whether maximum allowable rates for in-state, inmate calling should mirror those rate caps, as well as the method used to establish maximum rates for all other operator-service provider calls.

The commission’s request for comments follows a decision by the Federal Communications Commission not to pursue rate caps for in-state, inmate calling.

The commission last updated rates for operator-service provider calls in September 2015, when it established a rate cap of $1.16 per minute.

Public comments are due July 3, and can be submitted in person or by mail to: 1701 Prospect Ave.; Helena, MT, 59620 or by email to psc_utilitycomment@mt.gov.

Comments can also be submitted online by visiting psc.mt.gov, and clicking on “Comment on Proceedings.”

To view the commission’s notice, visit bit.ly/2rwcYYY.