The second issue is whether price listing the service packages could lead to a growth in demand for access lines and thus exacerbate USWC's service quality problems. USWC does not project any growth in the number of residential lines due to offering the four packages. Staff considers it unlikely that customers would subscribe to additional lines simply because these feature packages are available. Staff maintains that the perceived need for the line itself would probably have to occur first. The third issue is whether there are other residential feature packages identical or similar to the packages in this petition, so that the company could use them as a basis for price discrimination.
Staff believes the answer is no.
There are no other USWC residential feature packages identical or similar to the packages in this petition. Moreover, even if USWC did attempt to use these packages for price discrimination, the Commission could order that the services be moved back to the regular tariff and fully regulated. Under ORS 759.0307, the Commission could suspend the current filing and investigate further regardless of whether the proposed price list services are essential, if it has other public policy concerns. Staff raises no other public policy issues at this time. The Commission has issued orders regarding two recent USWC petitions to price list packaged services.