Southwestern Bell to Offer Long Distance

(Oklahoma City-AP) -- Southwestern Bell is ready enter the battle for long-distance customers as it will begin providing the service in Oklahoma tomorrow. <br><br>Bell says it'll charge ten cents per

Tuesday, March 6th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

(Oklahoma City-AP) -- Southwestern Bell is ready enter the battle for long-distance customers as it will begin providing the service in Oklahoma tomorrow.

Bell says it'll charge ten cents per minute with no monthly fee for both instate and state-to-state long-distance calls.

Competitor AT&T plans to offer incentives as it tries to keep its long-distance customers.

The Telecommunications Act in 1996 allows the so-called ``Baby Bells'' to offer long-distance after proving local telephone service is open to competition.

AT&T and WorldCom are appealing the Federal Communications Commission decision allowing Bell to offer long-distance service in both Oklahoma and Kansas.