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</span></font></b><b><font size=5><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-weight:
bold'><br>
Customers Casualties in Phone Dispute <br>
<br>
<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
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12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><font size=3
color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Albuquerque</span></font></st1:place></st1:City>
Journal – front page<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Thursday, January 01, 2009 <br>
<br>
<span class=popup><a
href="http://www.abqjournal.com/cgi-bin/email_reporter.pl?staff=yes"><!--BSHTAG--><!--PARSER:--><!--CTPROVIDER:Albuquerque
Journal--><!--TITLE: Customers Casualties in Phone Dispute--><!--COPYRIGHT:Copyright
2009 <a
href="http://www.albuquerquejournal.com">Albuquerque
Journal</a>--><!--AUTHOR: Tamara N. Shope--><!-- ORIGINAL PHOTO PATH = #PHOTOPATH1# --><!--BSHSTARTBODY--><span
title="E-mail reporter Tamara N. Shope!">By Tamara N. Shope</a></span><br>
<span class=popup><!--ss-->Journal Staff Writer</span><br>
<span class=popup><!--es--> <!--indent--> <!--endind-->
Thousands of New Mexicans are without phone and Internet service this week due
to a payment dispute between Qwest and a local service provider. </span><br>
<span class=popup><!--indent--> <!--endind--> Several 911
services, hospitals, banks and local authorities were disconnected as well,
leaving New Mexicans who rely on them in the lurch. </span><br>
<span class=popup><!--indent--> <!--endind--> The New Mexico
Public Service Commission was scrambling late New Year's Eve to find even a
short-term solution. </span><br>
<span class=popup><!--indent--> <!--endind--> A federal judge
will be hearing the two parties' arguments Jan. 13, so the PRC issued an
interim order late Wednesday: Qwest must immediately begin the process of
restoring service to "critical" customers, including local
governments, public safety, hospitals, banks and other such facilities. Qwest
warned that could take several days. </span><br>
<span class=popup><!--indent--> <!--endind--> Qwest cut service
to SkyWi Inc. and subsidiaries, including OneConnect IP and ZiaNet, beginning
at 3 a.m. Tuesday, said Qwest spokesman Mark Molzen. SkyWi is the state's
largest independent Internet service provider, with about 13,000 customers. It
is based in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Albuquerque</st1:place></st1:City>
and operates in six states. </span><br>
<span class=popup><!--indent--> <!--endind--> The issue was
brought before the PRC, which called an emergency meeting Wednesday night
because it deemed the matter a public safety and economic crisis. </span><br>
<span class=popup><!--indent--> <!--endind--> During the
meeting, the PRC told Qwest that if it does not restore the services by 8 a.m.
today, it must show why it shouldn't be sanctioned by the PRC. During the
meeting, Qwest claimed it would take days, maybe even a week, to restore all
service. Qwest was ordered to report its progress to the PRC by 10 a.m. Friday.
</span><br>
<span class=popup><!--indent--> <!--endind--> The PRC has no
jurisdiction over Internet company SkyWi, which it scolded for allowing its
services to be disconnected without notifying its customers. It ordered the
company to hand control of its phone numbers to the actual customers, so they
could seek alternate providers if they so desire. </span><br>
<span class=popup><!--indent--> <!--endind--> Since the
service was cut, the PRC has received calls from concerned municipalities,
businesspeople and residents, who said the outage is costing them both safety
and money. </span><br>
<span class=popup><!--indent--> <!--endind--> The <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Roswell</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">Medical</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Center</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>
was down, as were several 911 systems, said PRC Chairman Jason Marks. One
nonprofit called Marks to say it couldn't process payroll; another claimed it
would be forced into bankruptcy if the matter wasn't resolved soon. </span><br>
<span class=popup><!--indent--> <!--endind--> At issue, Qwest
says, is about $1.7 million owed to the communications giant. SkyWi has known
of Qwest's intent to disconnect service for at least 10 days but did not notify
its customers, nor did it contact Qwest to make payment arrangements, Qwest
said. </span><br>
<span class=popup><!--indent--> <!--endind--> In a news
release, SkyWi suggested the matter is much bigger than nonpayment. </span><br>
<span class=popup><!--indent--> <!--endind--> "We believe
we are under attack by Qwest Communications," SkyWi president Jack Leach
said in the release. "SkyWi filed a lawsuit against Qwest in federal court
in <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">New Mexico</st1:place></st1:State>
earlier in December regarding Qwest's predatory anticompetitive and unfair
trade practices."</span><br>
<span class=popup><!--indent--> <!--endind--> Qwest began
demanding payment in November. According to copies of documents Qwest sent to
the Journal, it had issued bills totaling $581,921.06 at that time. SkyWi paid
about a third of that. Qwest served a 10-day notice that service would be
disconnected. When SkyWi didn't respond by Qwest's deadline, plans were put in
motion to cut service. </span><br>
<span class=popup><!--indent--> <!--endind--> "We asked
for something in writing saying they would pay it by Friday," spokesman
Molzen said. "We were going to extend the deadline. Had they responded,
given us assurance, then their service would still be on. Unfortunately for
their customers, they chose to ignore the request."</span><br>
<span class=popup><!--indent--> <!--endind--> Qwest claims the
company now owes more than $1.7 million, but it would extend services if SkyWi
paid the $581,000 and continued to negotiate. </span><br>
<span class=popup><!--indent--> <!--endind--> PRC Commissioner
Sandy Jones said he believes both companies acted improperly, because thousands
of New Mexicans lost access to urgent and emergency services. </span><br>
<span class=popup><!--indent--> <!--endind--> "If anyone
can go to bed and sleep very good tonight about the way they treated these
people, good luck," he said.</span></span></font><font color=black
face=Verdana><span style='font-family:Verdana;color:windowtext'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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