The Telecommunications Commission will decide tomorrow on whether BTC will be allowed to increase the cost of its pay phone calls and directory assistance.

BTC intends to more than double the cost of directory assistance and substantially hike the cost of local calls made on payphones.

The company has applied to increase the cost of directory assistance calls from 75 cents to $1.55 and pay phone calls from 20 cents to 35 cents ? an increase of 75 percent.

BTC said last month the services do not pay their way at the current rates.

The Telecommunications Commission has already met and discussed the matter, according to acting Telecommunications Director William Francis.

"The decision we have made is not final and we hope that a decision will be made on Wednesday," he said.

BTC said that the 640 payphones on the Island lose money due to high maintenance costs and decreasing call volumes due to increasing cell phone usage.

BTC is required to provide this public service and the pay phone call rate has not been increased since 1983.

BTC also said that a year and a half ago BTC filed a tariff increase notice requesting a payphone rate increase to 50 cents per call, "however this was declined by the Telecommunications Commission", said a BTC spokesperson.

At the time, BTC was also refused permission to increase the charge for directory assistance from 60 cents to $1. An application to increase the directory assistance charge to 75 cents was approved.

The spokesperson added: "In addition BTC is exploring other ways to generate revenues such as advertising and improving internal efficiencies to mitigate continuing losses in this business area for our shareholders while meeting the requirement of providing this public service."

BTC also claims that directory assistance rates do not cover the costs associated with providing the service.

Two public notices have been printed in in which BTC said it was looking for approval from the Telecommunications Commission.

Comments or objections to the moves had to be made within 21 days of the publication of the notice and must be sent to the commission.