BellSouth and Verizon plan to raise residential and business local telephone rates in the state of Florida starting in November, according to filings made with the Florida Public Service Commission.

Under the filings, neither company will profit from the raised rates. Instead, the companies will cut access charges which they charge to long distance carriers for originating and completing calls across their networks.

BellSouth residential customers should expect local telephone rates to increase by $1.13 per month, and business customers will see anywhere from no increase to a $2.23 per month hike.

Verizon residential customers should expect a rate hike of $1.58 per month, while business customers will see increases between $1.05 to $2.51 per month.

Critics argued that long distance carriers are not obliged to pass their savings on to consumers, even though they are expected to do so, and that the plan would affect low income customers the hardest.

The Florida Public Service Commission can be contacted at 1-800-342-3552, or consumers can file complaints online.