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Show Mountain Bell plans for 'Zero plus dialing' . Telephone service in Vernal will be upgraded in 1980 at a cost of more than $675,000, according to Manager Bob Olsen. "Approximately $300,000 of this amount will be spent for service . improvements im-provements and additional cable to the Vernal area. The remainder will be spent for equipment that will be needed for 'Zero Plus Dialing' which is scheduled to cutover in July, 1981, Olsen explained. He said "Zero Plus Dialing" will allow Vernal customers to place credit card, collect and similar-type cahs without having to first dial the operator. "It is both faster and more convenient," Olsen added. On a statewide basis, Mountain Bell moves into a new decade with a record $134.8 million construction budget for Utah. This amount exceeds last year's budget by $21.7 million. Vice President & Utah General Manager, Tom Lindblom, says the Mountain Bell-Utah construction expenditures ex-penditures have steadily increased over the years, but the increases have been more dramatic in recent years. "To cite an example of this trend," Lindblom commented, "Our budget in 1965 was $21 million. In 1970 this amount jumped to $35 million. Ten years later we are starting a new decade with a construction budget of $134.9 million!" The money allocated in the 1980 construction budget is divided among four basic categories. Those categories, and the amount that will be spent for each, include: 1. Growth $90.9 million; 2. Modernization $24.2 million: 3. Customer Movement (churn) $15.4 million; 4. Plant Replacement $4.3 million. Lindblom explained that included in the $134.8 million budget is approximately ap-proximately $4 million to provide ESS (Electronic Switching Systems) service ser-vice to an additional 30.000 Utah telephone customers. 'There were no ESS office in Utah 10 years ago. With the cutovers in 1930, approximately 50 percent of our customers will be served by this modern equipment. "We feel this is very' significant because ESS service is the most reliable, convenient and flexible telephone service available," Und-blom Und-blom commented. Those areas receiving Ejj this year include Salt Lake Mbf City, and Farmington. ' 4 "When determining t construction dollars will be gpi year, the managers of our c) must make important and tm controversial decisions about wu,' money is needed most and ai " the overall benefit will be to the U number of customers. "This is not an easy task, bar, that we are doing a good job u Utah. Through technology, continually upgrading the &er our customers, both in urban aajl areas," Lindbloom said. He added that Mountain presently has a total of 1,475 rurj;, stations, which represent .23 r?r its 511,763 customers. "Since l-have l-have reduced the number o ' customers from 13,508 t0 proximately 1,500 today," : said. "Many service improvemeij as the miles of buried cable rt to provide service to new subt-,- are unseen by customers. Hs they are necessary if telephone is to be maintained at a level cur.j have come to expect," he r While the cost of providing service continues to increase j year. Mountain Bell is ex-- . looking for ways to provide fc- service at the lowest possible cis; "Our advances in techno; j improved the value of service" rapid grow th and runaway a"; Because of this, we have hai i general rate increases in &e s vears." Lindblom stated. "One of the largest prciea : budget this year is the implex r of an Automated Repair Si-Bureau. Si-Bureau. With this new burta: : puters will be utilized to tra 1 trouble and maintain record " . Worn said. He explained that the codpes be able to diagnose line troxjei 30 seconds in 90 percent of tie test desk technician will irrjj problems in the rema:rrr.g cas "The change to Autorwjc "a! Jerviee Bureaus will rr.ea;!1 more efficient service for esj and substantial savings fx cc pany through the certraliij operations," Lindblom aiied |