Voice Support

EAS is a replacement for long distance (toll) service. EAS allows telephone customers in one local calling area (known as an exchange) to call one or more nearby exchanges without incurring long distance charges. In some cases, rates for local service are also increased. In sum, an EAS calling area is a toll-free calling area.

The Public Utility Commission (PUC or Commission), at the request of customers, has approved over 2,008 EAS routes in Oregon.

EAS gives customers greater calling access to neighboring communities. This access can be quite important in smaller exchanges, where local residents are often forced to rely on goods and services found in other exchanges. EAS can also help address the problem of outdated exchange boundaries. Original exchange boundaries may no longer correspond to community calling pat­terns. EAS helps eliminate this problem by eliminating the “toll barrier” between exchanges that are really part of one community.

EAS is not a free service, per-minute long distance charges are replaced with a flat or measured EAS rate. Consequently, with the deployment of a new EAS route, large long distance charges formerly faced by a small number of customers are replaced with smaller EAS charges to many customers. In a few cases, local rate increases are also needed to make sure EAS charges are not too high. PUC Policy is that EAS Routes must be rev­enue netural to affected telecommunications companies. This means that connecting telephone companies do not profit from EAS.

If you are activating new phone service without a number to port from elsewhere, you do not have to accept the first number a computer assigns to you. Though this is not a commonly known fact, at the time of account creation you can ask your carrier to rotate through the available phone numbers. There is no fee to do so.

This feature allows you to route all incoming calls to another destination and may be activated or deactivated from your premises or from any remote location. Directions on how to set this up can be found on page 22 of your Oregon Trail Directory or by calling 503.632.1011.

If you have e-billing then you can print a copy off the website of your call detail. If you don’t have e-billing, you can call the office at 503.632.3113 and we can print it out for you, a charge may apply.

The National Do Not Call Registry is intended to give U.S. consumers an opportunity to limit the telemarketing calls they receive. To register by telephone call 1.888.382.1222 or you can visit www.donotcall.gov.

This service allows you to hear a different ring when an incoming call is for different members of your family or business, including fax calls. The calls still come in on the same phone line but each number rings differently.