Meeting on Thursday, the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission had nothing good to say about Qwest and SkyWi. State regulators agreed that both companies put their customers second in their disputes over billing and business practices that led Qwest to disconnect SkyWi's network, pulling the plug on Internet and phone service to around 10,000 customers.
The New Mexico PRC ordered both companies to notify customers and state regulators 10 business days in advance of service disconnects. Qwest agreed, but SkyWi refused. SkyWi's attorney says the PRC has no authority over the company for such an order, but commissioners are not happy at being snubbed.
SkyWi will instead wait for a Tuesday hearing in federal court, where they hope to get a restraining order against Qwest forbidding it from further disconnects until its lawsuit against Qwest is resolved. Meanwhile, Qwest says SkyWi owes $1.7 million in past due bills, an amount SkyWi refuses to pay until a judge sorts through things.
For more:
- New Mexico KRQE reports the latest. Article.
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