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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Qwest Communications International Inc. wants to remove a price cap on its basic residential phone service in Utah and let the market determine the price.
A bill to let the cap be removed, House Bill 216, passed a Senate committee on Wednesday and already has passed the House with an unanimous vote.
But Betsy Wolf, an advocate with the Salt Lake Community Action Program, told a Senate committee Wednesday that the group is concerned there won't be an alternative for people who can only afford very basic service.
The bill's sponsor, Rep. Fred Hunsaker, R-Logan, says the $11-per-month cost is the lowest in Qwest's 14-state operating region.
Jerry Fenn, Qwest's Utah president, says removing the cap will allow the company to price services based on the market and in response to a competitive environment.
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Information from: Deseret News
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
