BELL SEEKS FLAT FEE FOR CALLING AREA

Southwestern Bell Telephone hopes to introduce a Local Plus service for customers in the form of flat-fee calling within local calling areas. Residential and business customers could make unlimited calls within an area code.

"Residential customers would have the option of paying $30 a month for the expanded local calling area," said Donna Burk, area Bell manager at Sikeston. "Business customers would pay $60 a month."

The local calling area for Cape Girardeau Southwestern Bell customers would include the St. Louis area and most communities throughout the Bootheel -- Kennett, Caruthersville, Sikeston.

"The only requirement is that a Southwestern Bell customer call a Southwestern Bell customer," Burk said. "That's one reason that Columbia and Jefferson City are not included in the flat-rate area. We don't serve those areas."

The majority of the 314 area code would be included.

"There is a small pocket in the Westphalia, Lynn, Freeburg and Vienna areas that won't be included in this area," Burk said. "These communities will be included in another flat-fee calling area."

The new service would be available to all Southwestern Bell customers in expanded calling areas in four central cities and areas: St. Louis, Kansas City, Springfield and Westphalia.

Bell has asked the Missouri Public Service Commission to approve the service.

"Under our proposal, for example, a customer in Cape Girardeau would be able to call someone in St. Louis or Kennett as many times as they want and talk as long as they want for no additional charge," Burk said.

Customers have expressed interest in an expanded local calling area with a flat monthly fee, she said, and the service would save customers money and allow them to budget telephone costs more accurately, month-to-month.

Local Plus service was first introduced in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, and has helped residential and business customers manage and control their costs.

The service allows businesses to work more cost-effectively, and it has been helpful in attracting new business to the valley, Southwestern Bell press officer Ernest Harris said.

Bill Card, president of the board of directors of the Lower Rio Grande Valley Development Council, tells us that the new system has been helpful in attracting new business, Harris said.

Southwestern Bell has proposed to waive the set-up fee of $4 for residential customers and $5 for business customers for the first six months Local Plus service is available in Missouri.

Bell is asking the Public Service Commission to approve Local Plus services by March 3, Burk said. Following approval, the company plans to phase Local Plus service into all of its exchanges in Missouri.