Ohio gives AT&T OK to cut phone book deliveries
Thursday, February 12, 2009
COLUMBUS — AT&T Ohio has received state approval to end automatic delivery to customers of printed, white-pages telephone directories.
The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio on Wednesday, Feb. 11, granted AT&T's request to provide customers instead with an online, electronic version of the white pages. Customers may request that a free, printed directory be sent to them by mail.
AT&T serves the Dayton region.
The PUCO last month recently granted a similar request by Cincinnati Bell. The phone companies said that eliminating automatic delivery of printed telephone directories will cut costs, particularly for providing the phone books to customers who may not want them.
The Ohio Consumers' Counsel office, which represents residential utility consumers in Ohio, had objected to the companies' requests. The Consumers' Counsel said many customers still rely on printed directories, and that making them request the phone books could deprive customers of information they want and need.
