SHAW, La. &045;&045; If all goes as planned, residents of the Concordia Parish community of Shaw could receive telephone service from Centennial Wireless by Christmas.

That’s according to Bill Richardson, executive assistant to Public Service Commission Foster Campbell.

Richardson spoke with Tony Waulk, a New Jersey-based Centennial official working with the project, just last week.

&uot;They’ve leased two locations (for towers) and are pursuing the necessary local and environmental permits,&uot; Richardson said.

Waulk was not available for comment as of press time.

Residents of the Shaw community, the last area in Louisiana not to have telephone service, can get spotty cellular telephone service.

However, they have to use old analog &uot;bag&uot; phones for good reception.

The area is home to about 50 permanent residents, a number that doesn’t count thousands of seasonal hunters.

Meanwhile, the nearest landline phone service is 13 miles away &045;&045; a situation both residents and PSC officials have pointed out is a safety concern as well as an inconvenience.

In May, the PSC ordered Centennial to provide phone service to Shaw.

The order came after the PSC approved Centennial access to the federal Universal Service Fund that finances telephone service in rural areas.

The FCC requires state commissions to approve wireless companies’ applications to the fund, which includes access to about $12 million per year.

Centennial was the first wireless company to receive approval in the state of Louisiana.