December 6, 2002

The Michigan Public Service Commission today granted Net Express, Inc., d/b/a Advent Telecom, (Advent) a license to provide basic local telephone service in Michigan.  Advent joins more than 185 companies that are currently licensed to provide basic local telephone service in Michigan. 

The Commission approved the license because it determined that Advent possesses sufficient technical, financial and managerial resources and abilities to provide basic local telephone service within the geographic area of the license.  The Commission concluded that competition for telephone service is advantageous to Michigan residents.  By granting this request for a license, opportunities for competition may expand. 

The Commission conditioned the license on compliance with the Commission's anti-slamming procedures, the number portability provisions of the Michigan Telecommunications Act, and the Commission's number reclamation process.  The Commission also conditioned the license upon the company providing service to customers within a reasonable time, indicating that failure to comply may result in revocation of the license or other penalties.  Further, the Commission noted that any numbers obtained by the companies are a public resource and are not owned by the company.  Therefore, if the company fails to provide service or goes out of business, any numbers assigned are subject to reclamation.

Advent was granted a license to provide basic local telephone service for all telephone exchanges currently served by Verizon North Inc., Contel of the South, Inc., d/b/a Verizon North Systems, and Ameritech Michigan.  Telephone exchanges and zones are geographic boundaries that define customer's local calling area.  Advent applied for a license on September 4, 2002.

Advent will be able to begin to provide basic local telephone service once it has finalized interconnection arrangements with other telephone service providers and has filed approved tariffs with the Commission, reflecting the services it will offer and identifying the telephone exchanges in which it will offer service.  Interconnection arrangements allow its customers to place calls to, and receive them from, customers of other local telephone service providers.

Advent Telecom is headquartered in Clinton Township, Michigan.

The MPSC is an agency within the Department of Consumer and Industry Services.


Case No. U-13525