TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

PUC Adopts Phone Service Fund: The state Public Utilities Commission, on a 3-1 vote, approved the $351-million fund to subsidize service in remote areas. The amount is less than Pacific Telesis Group had sought but above what long-distance companies had suggested. Under the plan, any phone company wishing to offer local service in remote areas of California would be allowed to draw from the fund to help offset the higher costs of providing service in those areas. PacTel division Pacific Bell, which expects to continue serving most remote regions, had sought a $1.7-billion pool to help offset the costs of serving rural customers. All phone companies providing service in the state must contribute to the fund, which amounts to about $20 per customer.