Phone lines in rural areas... connection charges?

I'm 99.44 percent sure it's not a problem - I've heard of some US law or program from the early-mid 20th century that gave everyone access to phone service at the same cost as everyone else, or maybe only a SMALL amount extra.

This doesn't give exact costs, but it's an important detail:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rural_Electrification_Act

1949 - extended the act to allow loans to telephone companies wishing to extend their connections to unconnected rural areas

Click to expand...

So if your story is placed before 1949, yes that would be a good reason, but not afterward.

I heard a story - someone had a vacation cabin in a rural area up on a hill, about a mile from the nearest power line, and never bothered to look into having electric power hooked up. He "knew" it would cost a lot to have a dozen power pole put in and the line run, surely thousands of dollars. After owning it for 20 years he finally called to see how much it would be for the utility to run the line. They said it would be the standard charge for anyone not directly on the line or whatever: $100. He could have had it done 20 years earlier for that $100.

I don't know what law you might be referring to, but from conversations I've had with people in that situation, the customer does have to pay to run a land line, plus if it will cross other private property he will likely have to pay for an easement.

As to my own personal experience, I lived for 2 years outside of a smallish town in northwest Oregon and there was a mileage charge for being outside the city limits. There was also an extra charge for a private line as opposed to a 2-party or 4-party line. Bet you thought those went out in the '50's, too. not! We were paying $40+ per month for minimum service, and this was Pacific Bell, not some tiny local company.

I'm also wondering if he will even get cell service if he lives in a remote area. My sister-in-law lives outside a small town in WA state, and can't get it.

My husband worked for the phone company until the mid-eighties. I just asked him, and they will run it for free to you if you are along the road (i.e. extending further down a road they might go anyway, someday.) They will also go into your property two poles deep (about 250' to 300' per pole). So if you had just a deep driveway, you'd be okay. But anything beyond that, they charge about $1000 per pole and extra for the wire - he said estimate $1200 per every 300' for everything.

Hope that helps!

I passed your thanks along to the boss. He's all happy he got to contribute!