March 13, 1975 – Mountain Bell has asked the Colorado Public Utilities Commission for emergency approval of a $1.30 a month increase in one-party monthly residence telephone rates statewide, plus other changes, to avoid cutbacks in service programs and the loss of "hundreds of telephone jobs." The request was part of an overall plan to raise telephone revenues about 14 percent, or $40.3 million, including a charge for directory assistance calls and a 20-cent coin phone rate. While the company asks that all rates be effective April 6, the PUC can suspend the requests for up to 210 days to allow time for public hearings. As a result, Mountain Bell asked that about half of the increase be allowed to take effect without suspension because of the company's "drastic downturn in earnings."