FairPoint Prepares "stabilization Plan" For Maine

"It doesn't matter what day you call, what time you call, you get the message of 'unexpectedly high call volume.' There's no way people can communicate with them," Marsh said. "If they're putting more people on, how come they still have the same message all the time?"

Marsh is among those who have been placed on hold for an hour or more while waiting to talk to customer service agents or simply disconnected for no apparent reason while on hold, said Richard Davies, Maine's Public Advocate.

Others have reported receiving bills for services they've already paid for, while some potential customers have waited weeks to have service connected, he said.

Additionally, test calls made by members of Davies' staff have revealed that many of FairPoint's customer service representatives don't know all of the company's products or pricing plans, Davies said.

"As a consequence, people aren't getting the right information or are failing to get the information they need to make an informed decision on what services they might want and whether they want to get it from FairPoint or from some competitor," Davies said.

PUC spokesman Fred Bever said once the commission receives the report, it will work with its consultant and staff at regulatory agencies in New Hampshire and Vermont to determine the plan's adequacy.