FairPoint Communications To Cut Call Centers

, a provider of local telecommunications services in various markets around the country, is reducing the number of call centers it supports.

FairPoint (NYSE: FRP) said 10 local support centers would be closed and 10 others partially closed. Operations at two locations (Ellensburg, Wash., and South China, Maine) will be expanded.

The company did not specify whether jobs would be lost. However, FairPoint did say the moves would save it $1.8 million a year. "This reorganization of customer sales and services operations is made possible by our successful billing conversion and will allow us to operate more efficiently while also improving the level of service we provide to our customers," said Gene Johnson, the company’s chief executive officer and chairman.