The long-distance carrier on Monday said it planned to enter the interisland phone market Wednesday, the first day isle residents were able to pick among several carriers.
MCI Communications Corp. filed its rates with the state Public Utilities Commission on Wednesday, expecting to immediately start offering service.
Not so quick, regulators told them.
Carriers have to wait 30 days from their rate filing before they can enter the market, said Milton Higa, the PUC's administrative director.
MCI spokesman Andy Shepard said the company is appealing the PUC decision. He couldn't say on what grounds.
The decision means that for at least the next month, the battle for interisland phone traffic will be confined to AT&T Corp., Sprint Corp. and GTE Hawaiian Tel.
Customers remain with Hawaiian Tel - for years the only interisland carrier - unless they call the utility or their preferred carrier to request a switch.
A Hawaiian Tel spokesman said people who call the company wanting to switch to MCI are told MCI doesn't have the authority yet to serve the market.