S P O T L I G H TE n h a n c e d T e l e c o m m u n i c a t i o n s C o r p o r a t i o n

O c t o b e r 2 0 0 6 V o l u m e 6 - N u m b e r 5 w w w . e t c z o n e . c o m

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Consumer Alert: How to Detect “Cramming”

Chad Miles Addresses OPASTCO Convention

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- Detecting “Cramming” Scams- OPASTCO Convention Notes- Predicting Fall Sun Outages- Celebrating Sunman Sesquicentennial- Customer Appreciation Day- Curiosity Corner - Holidays & Happenings

Have you ever noticed a mysterious charge on your phone bill, and didn’t recognize the name next to the charge? You may have been the victim of an increasingly common phone billing scam. There are several companies currently operating as "billing clearing-houses" for legitimate companies that bill for their services by placing charges on local phone bills. Thousands of complaints have been filed about billing clearinghouses passing on phony and inflated charges for everything from collect calls to psychic readings, a practice known in the industry as "cramming". This process is often initiated when the company mails the customer a check for a small sum. When the customer signs and cashes the check, they actually agree to terms which lead to the additional fees.Common Crammers: ESBI; Integrel, Inc.; Zero Plus Dialing, Inc.; & ILD Teleservices. Any consumer whose local telephone bill includes an unauthorized charge from a “billing clearinghouse” should immediately call their local ETC office to find the appropriate contact information for the company responsible. If the company fails to investigate the situation within 30 days, consumers should file a report using the ConsumerAffairs.Com complaint form, with copies to the FTC and their state Public Utilities Commission.

(HOT SRINGS, VA – July 17, 2006) - Chad Miles, President and CEO of ETC, delivered the Chairman’s address to kick off the 1st General Session of the OPASTCO (Organization for the Promotion and Advancement of Small Telecommu-nications Companies) Summer Convention held July 15th - 20th in Hot Springs, VA. Chairman Miles’ message was primarily focused on the importance of building unity among rural telecommunications companies and member affiliates to strengthen the memberships’ lobbying efforts in Washington DC. The OPASTCO organization has been working diligently in cooperation with the Coalition to Keep America Connected to fight for the future of rural telecom development and afford-ability while proposed legislation threatens to put great limitations on both. Miles made it clear that the efforts of the membership have been strong and effective to this point in making an impression upon Congress, but quickly pointed out that now is the time for a unified call to action. “Our unity is being challenged,” he stated. “This is our defining moment.” Miles explained the importance of establishing positive negotiations with larger providers and lawmakers to ensure that rural telecoms maintain the means for providing advanced, affordable services to rural consumers for years to come. He also addressed the changing landscape of telecom consumerism, with broadband delivery taking over as the primary means for full-service telecommunications, and the implications that current issues such as network neutrality and national franchising reform have on rural providers. As the 2006 Chairman of OPASTCO, Chad Miles’ responsibilities include strategic directional leadership of the membership both locally and on the national level. The organization works tirelessly to educate and provide creative solutions to Congressmen regarding the needs of smaller rural service providers on continuing the deployment of telecommunications services to include broadband and video content at fair and affordable prices to our rural communities of America. Predicting Fall 2006 Sun Outages

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Periodic cable television feed outages take place every year during the spring and fall seasons when the sun passes behind a satellite relaying our digital and IP cable signals back to earth. During these mini-eclipses, energy from the sun surges to our satellite receivers on earth, causing degradation in the signal. You may experience anything from slight signal degradation to temporary signal loss. The severity of the outage depends on the position of the satellite in relation to our receiving stations on earth. The outages during this cycle will be gradual and slight on the first and last days of the fall cycle, reaching a peak during mid-cycle when the sun is located directly behind the satellite. The fall outages are predicted to occurr between September 25th and October 19th, 2006. Exact dates and times of signal degradation or temporary signal loss for specific channels may vary.

S u n m a n 6 2 3 - 2 1 2 2 B a t e s v i l l e 9 3 2 - 1 0 0 0 G r e e n s b u r g 2 2 2 - 1 0 0 0

ETC Celebrates Sunman Sesquicentennial

Customer Appreciation Day at ETC

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The air was thick with excitement in anticipation for the 150th birthday of Sunman, Indiana, with the weekend-long celebration taking place from August 19th through September 2nd, 2006. Originally founded in 1856, the town of Sunman has been the home of Enhanced Telecommunications Corporation since the very beginning. ETC originally began providing service to the community as the Sunman Telephone Company in 1925, and has since grown into the premier full-service telecommunica-tions provider of Southeastern Indiana. The success of local business in Sunman has been a direct reflection of the support of our communities. ETC was happy to take part in the big birthday celebra-tion, with the entry of the “Happy Birthday” float in the Sunman Sesquicentennial Parade held on Saturday. ETC President and CEO Chad Miles had daughter Alexa along to join Julie Schutte, Gary Schutte, Jim Daily and daughter Josie for the ride (pictured above, L to R). The parade kicked off a day full of activities celebrating the great history of our community!

Curiosity Corner

Previous issue Winners

Please write your answers on a small piece of paper. Incomplete entries will be thrown out so be sure to include your name, address and telephone number. Mail your entry with your remittance statement (bill) or to ETC, Attention: Josh Nielsen at PO Box 145, Sunman, IN 47041. Log onto www.etczone.com and click on “Spotlight” to answer online.

Q1. Passing on phony or inflated charges to consumer phone bills is called what? A. slamming B. cramming C. maxing

Q2. In what year was ETC originally founded (as the Sunman Telephone Company) in Sunman? A. 1856 B. 1955 C. 1925

Entries must be received by October 31, 2006. Limited to one entry per household.

Last Issue’s Answers:

Question 1: B. RCE

Question 2: A. 6

There were 106 combined entries from our Sunman, Batesville, and Greensburg offices with winners selected at random. The winners from our Sunman office were Jeremy Biersdorfer and Leslie Stewart. The winners from our Batesville office were Kay Obermeyer and Julie Sarringhaus. The winners from our Greensburg office were Tracy Winters and Bonita Hellmich. Each winner receives an ETC winter scarf. Please stop by your local office to claim your prize. Congratulations!

Holiday Coupon BookletsComing in November!

Holidays & HappeningsMonday, October 9th - Columbus Day OPENTuesday, October 31st - Halloween OPENThurs - Fri, Nov. 23rd - 24th - Thanksgiving CLOSEDMonday, December 25th - Christmas CLOSEDMonday, January 1st, 2007 - New Year’s Day CLOSEDAll ETC offices will be closed on Thursday, Nov. 23rd, Friday through Nov. 24th; Monday, Dec. 25th; and Monday,Jan. 1st. We will resume regular business hours the following day at 8:00 am. Happy Holidays!

ETC would like to extend gracious thanks to everyone who came out to visit us at the Greensburg ETC office during our Customer Appreciation Day, held on Friday, August 25th. The event was a great success, as many new customers were able to take advantage of the great deals offered on service installation and bundle packaging. Visitors were also welcomed to enjoy breakfast and lunch refreshments provided throughout the day. Everyone was given the opportunity to enter the drawing to win ETC Outdoor Party Packages, which included a set of ETC fold-out camping chairs, and an 18-can climate cooler with drink koozies. Congratulations to Jenny Hanna and Linda & Charlie Griewe who were drawn as prize winners!