Media blitz, Coalition criticizes Pac Bell's order processing system

A citizens and business group that includes Pacific Bell's potential local competitors is chastising the Bell company for restricting the number of customers who can switch to another carrier.

The coalition, called Californians for Telecommunications Choice, is flooding northern California with TV and newspaper ads and letters to the editor, urging people to keep the state from falling behind in getting local competition.

"We're trying to bring pressure on Pac Bell to break its monopoly," said Anna Evashko, a San Diego attorney and coalition president.

The coalition represents a diverse bunch, including AT&T, consumer groups, mom-and-pop communications companies, the California Latino Builders Association and the California Association of Competitive Telecommunications Companies. Caltell is providing seed money for the effort, and other carriers are being solicited for funds as well.

The members believe they will benefit from greater choice, better service, advanced technologies and competitive pricing that competition will bring.

Pacific Bell conceded that it uses more manual order processing than it would like. But the carrier has hired more people, equipped itself with electronic ordering and maintenance interfaces, and spent $100 million last year on systems to open the local market to competition. Pacific Bell plans to spend more this year, said Lee Bauman, vice president of local competition for Pacific Bell.

An estimated 1500 to 2500 orders were being processed each day last week, but that number will increase soon, Bauman said (see story on page 62).

A major obstacle is the lack of standards and specifications for the interfaces. The interfaces were developed in line with competitors' requests, but the new entrants now want changes and more elaborate capabilities.

"When competitors say a certain thing is not available, most likely they just thought of it," Bauman said.

The California Public Utilities Commission has authorized about 80 companies to compete as local exchange carriers.