Aug 1, 2001

By Jaime Banks Herald Staff Writer

For the second time in a month, some Durango Alltel cellular phone-service customers were without wireless service from Friday to Monday due to an automated billing-system glitch.

"Unfortunately, it’s an exact duplication of what happened last time; it’s a spillover from the same data problem," said Alltel spokesman Andrew Carey.

Customers experienced similar problems July 10, when an error in Alltel’s billing system deactivated an unknown number of phones. While the previous deactivation affected only Durango customers, this weekend’s error affected people in parts of Arizona and New Mexico as well.

Carey said that the automatic system is designed to cut off service to people who are 30 days past due on their bills. However, the system glitch kept some payments from being credited, resulting in a "suspend" status and deactivation.

The automatic system replaced a manual system around Memorial Day. Carey said once all customers go through one billing cycle in the new system, this type of error should not happen again.

Customers affected by the July 10 deactivation were credited with 100 free local minutes and mailed a 30-minute long-distance calling card.

He said a similar offer will be presented to customers affected by the recent deactivation.

Carey said most people’s phones should have been reactivated by 4 p.m. Tuesday. However, if a customer still does not have service due to the error, he or she should call Alltel’s customer service line or come in to the local store.

Alltel took over Cellular One wireless operations in Southwest Colorado in 1999, when the company had more than 6.5 million customers throughout the country.

http://www.durangoherald.com/1news4956.htm

-- Anonymous, August 02, 2001