PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA
Telecommunications Division RESOLUTION T-16432
Carrier Branch September 7, 2000
R E S O L U T I O N
RESOLUTION T-16432. COX CALIFORNIA TELECOM, L.L.C. dba COX COMMUNICATIONS (U-5684-C). REQUEST FOR APPROVAL OF A PROGRAM DESIGNED TO RESPOND TO SPECIFIC CUSTOMER NEEDS ARISING FROM THE RECENT PUBLICATION OF LISTING INFORMATION FOR CUSTOMERS WHO HAD REQUESTED UNLISTED, NON-PUBLISHED OR PARTIALLY LISTED INFORMATION IN CERTAIN PACIFIC BELL SAN DIEGO TELEPHONE DIRECTORIES.
BY ADVICE LETTER NO. 50, FILED ON MAY 26, 2000, AND FILED A SUPPLEMENT BY ADVICE LETTER NO. 50-A ON JUNE 21, 2000.
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SUMMARY
Cox Communications (Cox) requests approval of a program designed to respond to specific customer needs arising from the recent publication of listing information for customers who had requested unlisted, non-published or partially listed information in certain Pacific Bell (Pacific) San Diego telephone directories.
This resolution approves Cox's request; however, the approval of Cox's Advice Letter No. (AL) 50 and its supplement, does not relieve Cox from any liability for possible violation of its tariff rules, Public Utilities (PU) Code and/or any other Commission rules and regulations; nor does it relieve Cox from any liability resulting from any action the Commission may take in the future. This resolution does not address the issues relating to reprinting and redistribution of new corrected directories and reclamation and destruction of the tainted directories, issues that are being considered in Rulemaking (R.) 95-04-043/Investigation (I.) 95-04-044.
Cox offers a response program to its affected customers that includes: 1) free number change plus 120 minutes of free calling, and if a customer is still not satisfied, an additional 120 minutes of free calling (Option 1); 2) free special package of services with privacy features and a Caller ID box for customers who do not want their numbers changed (Option 2); 3) no charge for listings of unlisted and non-published numbers; and 4) an escalation process for customers who are concerned about their safety because their addresses were published. In addition, Cox would not seek reimbursement for ULTS customers subject to the response program. Cox's entire response program would expire for all customers published in the East and South San Diego County directories on May 31, 2001, (or June 15, 2001, for North San Diego County customers) or when the 2001/2002 edition of those directories are issued, whichever is the later. Cox requests a temporary waiver from its applicable tariffs for its affected customers.
Cox is ordered to: 1) fund the Commission mandated public programs for any losses; 2) track and report all costs associated with its response program to the Telecommunications Division (TD) on a monthly basis until December 31, 2001; 3) provide to TD, within 30 days from the effective date of this resolution, its operating procedures developed to detect and immediately correct such software errors and/or to avoid such software errors from happening in the future; and 4) report to the Director of the TD, on a weekly basis, the total number of customers affected; the total number of customers contacted; the number of customers who have accepted Option 1, the number of customers who have accepted Option 2, the number of customers who qualified for the escalation procedures and the number of customers, by category, who have accepted Cox's offer for additional escalation procedures, and the number of customers who have refused to negotiate with Cox.
