Telephone carrier Verizon will now have pricing freedom in some of the state's most populated areas.
In a three to two vote, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission voted to declare basic local exchange service offered by Verizon as competitive. This decision gives Verizon the ability to set price rates for its landline service based on their competitors in 153 of their 504 wire centers in the state.
PUC Commissioners say this levels the playing field for the company to compete with other wire centers while giving more options to consumers.
"'From a consumer standpoint this is certainly a win where there are these whole host of products and services that consumers are now able to avail themselves to," PUC Vice Chairman John F. Coleman Jr. said.
This decision affects several of the state's biggest markets including Harrisburg, Philadelphia and York.