Supra Telecom, a local exchange carrier that sells discount phone service it leases from BellSouth, has not paid millions in fees that were due in August, said Joe Lacher, BellSouth's Florida president.
Atlanta-based BellSouth filed an emergency request Monday with the Public Service Commission in Tallahassee asking regulators to let BellSouth continue serving Supra Telecom customers while they choose another carrier.
BellSouth's request would give the customers two weeks to choose a new phone company before their service would be cut off, PSC spokesman Kevin Bloom said.
The PSC on Monday gave BellSouth permission to begin notifying Supra Telecom customers, but won't make a decision on BellSouth's full request until Nov. 5, said BellSouth spokesman Spero Canton.
No decision had been made on how soon Supra Telecom customers would lose their service if the PSC decides not to approve BellSouth's request.
"We are in the business of selling telecommunications services and we would prefer to be paid so we could continue to provide service to Supra," Lacher said.
Supra Telecom released a statement Monday calling BellSouth's action "a blatant attempt to steal Supra's customers and damage our reputation."
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