PORTLAND, Maine — Utilities regulators will visit Bangor July 7, in the first of a series of informational meetings about changes to FairPoint Communications’ price-controlled, basic landline phone service starting Aug. 28.
A law passed during the last legislative session phases out regulated landline service in 22 of Maine’s largest communities, starting with a group of the state’s seven largest communities in August. Those landline plans are called provider of last resort, or POLR, service.
The law allows regulators to reduce the communities where FairPoint must provide POLR to any requesting customer, but it does not allow FairPoint to drop current landline customers’ service. It may, however, move them off the current price-controlled service eventually.
From the date any area is removed, the company has to provide an additional year of price-controlled service to existing POLR customers. After removal, FairPoint has to seek further state approvals to reduce or discontinue service to landline customers in areas where it previously was the provider of last resort.
In line with the law, the Maine Public Utilities Commission has set dates for meetings in each of the communities up for removal from FairPoint’s POLR requirement. They are:
— Bangor: July 7, 6 to 7 p.m. at Bangor City Hall, 73 Harlow St.
— Lewiston: July 13, 6 to 7 p.m. at Lewiston City Hall, 27 Pine St.
— Sanford: July 14, 6 to 7 p.m. at Sanford City Hall Annex, 919 Main St.
— South Portland: July 21, 6 to 7 p.m. at South Portland City Hall, 25 Cottage Road.
— Biddeford: July 28, 6 to 7 p.m. Biddeford City Hall, 205 Main St.
— Auburn: August 2, 6 to 7 p.m. Auburn City Hall, 60 Court St.
— Portland: August 3, 6 to 7 p.m. Portland City Hall, 389 Congress St.
Affected customers are also supposed to receive notice of the changes in their monthly statements.
After removing the first batch of towns, the new law allows FairPoint to ask regulators to remove up to 15 additional communities from its POLR requirement, in batches of five, every six months.
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The second batch includes Cape Elizabeth, Gorham, Kennebunk, Scarborough and Waterville. The third includes Bath, Freeport, Old Orchard Beach, Westbrook and Yarmouth. The fourth includes Augusta, Brewer, Brunswick, Kittery and Windham.
Across all of those 22 communities, the company estimates it has about 10,000 customers.
In other areas of the state, the new law sets a rate cap at $20 per month for basic landline service, with annual rate increases capped at 5 percent annually.