Los Angeles County - News from Dec. 19, 1994

Telephone Line: State regulators are expected to set the ground rules Wednesday for competition in local telephone markets, which are now monopolies for Pacific Bell and General Telephone Co. of California. This is part of the Public Utilities Commission’s plan to revamp the state’s telecommunications industry to introduce competition in all markets. Among other issues, the commissioners will look at changing the definition of basic phone service and how to pay for universal service for low-income and elderly customers. The rule changes will let such giants as AT&T; and MCI compete for strictly local phone business. The PUC, which has already opened up the market for so-called local long-distance as of Jan. 1, hopes to deregulate the rest of the industry within two years.