Valor to assume local GTE services Sept. 1

By Roger Estlack

IRVING – Valor Telecommunications of Texas, LP, announced last week that the Texas Public Utility Commission (PUC) unanimously approved the company’s application to provide local phone service to those Texas communities currently served by GTE. 

The action clears the way for Valor to assume operational control of over 300,000 local access lines – including the Clarendon and Hedley exchanges – on September 1, 2000.

“Valor is committed to ensuring that rural Texas is not left behind when it comes to having access to advanced telecommunications technologies,” said Anne K. Bingaman, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Valor. 

“To accomplish that goal, Valor plans to make a substantial investment in the Texas communities that Valor will soon serve.  We believe the plan approved by the Commission yesterday is a win-win for both Valor and our customers.”

In the application approved by the PUC, Valor detailed the service and infrastructure improvements the company will make beginning immediately after the September 1, 2000 closing. Included in those commitments is the promise that Valor will fully deploy high speed Internet access through Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) service to ten exchanges – Andrews, Brownfield, Crockett, Dumas, Glen Rose, Lamesa, Levalland, Pecos, Perryton and Texarkana.

Other exchanges would be guaranteed deployment of DSL within 15 months of a formal request for a minimum of 75 DSL lines.

The possibility of DSL service coming to Donley County is welcome news for local Internet users, several of whom complain of slow connection speeds.

Valor spokesperson Robin Buckley told the Enterprise that customers would probably have to make individual requests for DSL, but she did not know where those requests would need to be directed.

“We’re not down to that level of detail yet,” she said Monday, “but customers will be getting that information soon after September 1.”

Valor also promises to provide local dial-up Internet access in all exchanges within 18 months.

As for changes in everyday service, Buckley said the first difference will just be that phone bills will come from Valor and customer service numbers will change.

She said there will be no rate increases when Valor takes over from GTE, and Expanded Local Calling fees and services will remain unchanged.

Local GTE employees will become Valor employees, she said.

In addition to the PUC, Valor worked closely with members of the Texas House Select Committee on Rural Development, particularly Chairman Barry B. Telford of DeKalb and State Rep. David Counts of Knox City to develop its plan and to ensure that rural communities in Texas have access to broadband telecommunications services.

Valor, originally called dba Communications, will provide service to over 520,000 business and residential local access lines in New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.  Oklahoma and Texas regulatory authorities have approved Valor’s applications to provide local phone service in those states.  Approval is pending in New Mexico.  Valor will begin providing local phone service in Oklahoma on July 1, 2000, and in New Mexico and Texas on September 1, 2000.

In 1999, Valor Telecommunications Southwest, LLC, and three operating subsidiaries were formed to purchase GTE’s telephone properties in New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.  Upon closing of these transactions with GTE, Valor will be providing local phone service to over 500,000 business and residential local access lines in these three states, which will put it among the top 20 local phone companies in the country.

Valor is a privately-held company whose major investors include:  Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe, Vestar Capital, Citicorp Venture Capital and a group of twelve prominent Hispanic investors with long-standing ties to the Southwest United States.  Valor’s corporate headquarters are based in Irving, Texas, and it will have offices in all three states. 

For more information, visit Valor’s web site at http://www. Valortelecom.com