Edison Wins OK to Plug Into Phone Market

The California Public Utilities Commission approved a petition by Southern California Edison to provide wholesale telephone service, making Edison the state’s first major energy company to win entry into the local phone market. Edison will use a portion of its existing fiber-optic phone system to resell capacity to other phone competitors, Internet service providers, paging companies, cable companies and satellite television companies. Edison will not provide a retail dial tone to customers. Edison said it has gained federal approval and is working on interconnection agreements with Pacific Bell and GTE Corp. The energy company hopes to begin offering phone service in the first or second quarter of next year.