VERIZON’S over $60 million purchase deal is up for public hearings that would help authorities in deciding whether or not to approve the firm’s change of ownership.
The hearings will be held a month after Gov. Juan N. Babauta and the House of Representatives petitioned the Federal Communications Commission to “deny” the applications filed by Verizon and its buyer, Pacific Telecom, Inc.
J. Michael Fitzgerald, CTC vice chairman, urged the public to show up at the hearings to learn more about the issues surrounding the sale of Verizon, and to voice out their concerns.
He said the public hearing on Rota will be held on July 22; on Tinian it will be on July 24.
The public hearing on Saipan is set for July 25.
“This would be the best time to air… concerns and hear directly from Verizon and CTC the current issues about telecommunications. We would be announcing the locations in a few days,” Fitzgerald said.
Anthony Mosley, Verizon acting general manager, said the telecommunications company will be making presentations on the purchase deal, as well as on other issues regarding the firm’s services and projects during the hearings.
“We would also be answering questions by the public during the hearings,” said Mosley.
Rep. Joe Deleon Guerrero, R-Saipan, chairman of the House committee on public utilities, transportation and communications, also urged public participation in these hearings.
“It would be best to hear what the public has to say about the sale of Verizon. The House PUTC will definitely be there,” he said.
The administration, in a statement to Variety, said it prefers a local or a U.S. company to take over Verizon.
“We have filed our opposition to this sale for a variety of reasons, the most important being our desire to have a United States company to purchase this asset,” the governor said.
Citadel Holdings and Verizon, however expressed confidence that the purchase deal will stand on its own merit.
Inter-island phone charges
CTC is also set to formally solicit public comments on the 15 cents per minute charged by Verizon for customer direct-dial between Saipan, Rota and Tinian, said Fitzgerald.
“We’re going to issue an ad regarding this need for public comments. But people can raise their concerns on the inter-island charges during the public hearings for the takeover of Verizon,” he added.
Senate President Paul Manglona and the Tinian Legislative Delegation recommended that CTC include as a “condition” of any sale of Verizon, the elimination of inter-island telephone charges assessed on CNMI consumers.
CTC launched an investigation of “possible violations” of the Fiber Optic Communications Facilitation and Competitive Telecommunications Act of 1996 due to the continuous inter-island phone toll charges by Verizon.
Verizon, however, allows regular phone users a 30-minute “free” monthly inter-island call.
