We apologize for the lack of more frequent updates to this page. As the years drag by, CPT's ISDN efforts have become more focused on rate-hearings than providing ISDN news and information. That is likely to remain the case for some time so we will provide the occassional update on this page, but not in any comprehensive fashion. As for the states where we have intervened, the status is as follows:

Maryland

The hearing examiner in the Maryland ISDN case rendered what CPT considers to be a decision against the great weight of the evidence. The ruling, issued June 13, 1997, adopted the staff proposal for ISDN pricing, which was basically the Bell Atlantic proposal minus a couple dollars. The ruling presented many grounds for appeal and CPT filed its notice of appeal with the Maryland Public Service Commission on June 23, 1997. The appeal itself will be filed soon. CPT will be circulating a sign-on letter from MD consumers to the MD Public Service Commission and a version will be available on this site for your review. The Maryland Office of People's Counsel also appealed the decision as did Bell Atlantic.

New Jersey

The hearing process in New Jersey is winding down. CPT was stone-walled as usual by Bell Atlantic in the discovery process, with BA refusing to provide almost any relavent information. Among the things BA refused to provide us, and actually claimed were irrelevant to the proceeding, were cost studies on the regional pricing of ISDN within BA's territory, cost studies on ISDN-Centrex, an analogous service with many similar cost elements, data on voice usage, etc. Nonetheless, CPT put on a solid case and focused on the missing information withheld by BA and the fact that with so much data withheld, BA could not satisfy its burden of proving the validity of its rates. A decision by the administrative law judge is not expected for a couple months.