Two consumer groups asked the FCC to...

Two consumer groups asked the FCC to order the five largest independent telephone operator services out of business, claiming the companies charge excessive rates. Washington-based Telecommunications Research & Action Center and San Francisco-based Consumer Action said their survey shows that these providers’ rates are as much as 3 1/2 times higher than those of the major long-distance companies. The companies, called alternative operator services, provide service to guests in hotels and motels and at pay phones, as well as at some hospitals and universities, which receive commissions from the companies.