Final phase of Verizon local phone rate increase to take effect July 1
 

June 27, 2007
Docket Number UT-040788

Final phase of Verizon local phone rate increase to take effect July 1

OLYMPIA, Wash. – The final phase of a two-step local phone rate increase for Verizon customers will take effect July 1.

In 2005, the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) approved a settlement providing a local telephone rate increase for Verizon that would be implemented in two phases. The first phase, which allowed Verizon to raise residential and business phone rates by $2.43 a month, went into effect May 1, 2005.

This second phase, which goes into effect Sunday, allows the company to raise most business and residential customers’ local phone rates by an additional $1.47 a month, boosting most local residential customers’ bills from $15.43 to $16.90 monthly. Residential phone customers who subscribe to one of Verizon’s local service packages will see a 25 cent-a-month increase.

Verizon’s business customers will be paying rates from $21.60 to $38.60 a month for local phone service, up from $20.13 to $37.13 presently.

Verizon, formerly known as GTE, is the second-largest local telephone provider in Washington, serving 650,000 phone lines in cities such as Redmond, Kirkland, Everett, Bothell, Woodinville, Wenatchee, Kennewick, Pullman, Chelan, Richland, Naches, Westport, Lynden, Anacortes, Mount Vernon, Newport, Oakesdale, Republic and Camas-Washougal.
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