Show Mountain Bell to make sweeping sweeping changes Despite sweeping changes soon to take place in the telephone business Moun- Moun Mountain Mountain tain Bell will be able to meet most customer needs for telephone sets next year by filling the orders from available inventory That's the word from Mountain Bell Bell- Utah Public Relations Manager Ken Hill who explained that due to a 1981 FCC rul- rul ruling ruling ing designed to increase competition inthe in inthe the telecommunications market Mountain Moun- Moun Mountain tain Bell will not be permitted to sell or orlease orlease lease new telephone equipment after Jan 1 1983 We will continue to provide basic local and long distance service just as we wedo wedo do today he emphasized And we will continue to lease and maintain telephone equipment in place on customers premises as of Dec 31 1982 Hill pointed out that customers will be beable beable able to purchase or lease additional telephone sets from Mountain Bell as long as the desired sets are available in inventory As time goes by we will no longer have all telephone sets in all col- col colors colors ors and models at aU all locations he said As the inventories are depleted customers requesting telephone sets will need to obtain them from a vendor of their choice A possible option for Mountain Bell customers with single line service is that of purchasing basic telephone sets from the sets company already in place in customers homes and those currently included in Mountain Bells Bell's inventory Such a plan is currently being worked on and may soon be filed with the Utah Public Service Commission Hill encouraged telephone customers to continue to call Mountain Bell for Custom Calling Services such as Speed Calling or Call Waiting Wailing He said the com com- company company pany will also continue to provide directory I tory assistance White and Yellow Pages directories public telephones and ser ser- services services vices such as time of day and weather forecasts Beginning Jan I 1 customers seeking new telephone equipment will be able to obtain it from American Bell Inc a newly formed Bell System subsidiary or from numerous non Bell suppliers The change means six of the 14 Moun- Moun Mountain Mountain tain Bell Phone Centers currently operating in Utah will be transferred to American Bell as sales facilities The Utah stores being transferred include University Orem Mall Fort Union Su Sugarhouse Crossroads Mall Layton Hills Mall and Ogden City Mall Hill emphasized that those six stores will not be part of Mountain Bell Therefore customers will not be able to order telephone service or pay Mountain Bell bills at those six facilities The eight Utah Phone Centers that will remain with Mountain Bell and be redesignated as mountain Bell Service Centers Include those at Bell Plaza Jor- Jor Jordan Jordan dan Square South Kearns Boon Boon- American Fork Provo and Logan Other such Service Centers may be add add- added added ed in the near future with the first one probably to come in Ogden At the Service Centers customers will willbe willbe be able to order new service pick up or return leased Mountain Bell telephone sets needing replacement ment or repair and in most cases pay bills Another avenue for customers is that of calling the appropriate number shown in the Customer Guide section In the telephone directory white pages to ar ar- ar arrange range for new service changes in service or repairs |