SHAW — Teenage residents of the unincorporated rural Concordia Parish community of Shaw can tell you of a time without phones.

No, mom and dad didn’t take away their cell phones as a punishment. Their entire community was without telephone service, cellular or land lines.

It wasn’t until 2005 that the area — which has approximately 100 residents — first got telephone service when two cellular towers were erected.

Before that, residents relied on spotty cell phone service from old, analog bag phones if they wanted to talk.

And recently, word came that the new, better cell service that came in 2005 might be gone again.

Earlier this year there was a proposal before the Federal Communications Commission to put a cap on the Universal Service Fund, which is used to help increase availability of telecommunications services to rural and low-income residents.

“From what I understand, the service provider said if they put a cap on (the fund) we will have to pull our service,” Concordia Parish Industrial and Economic Director Heather Malone said.

Most of Shaw’s residents had heard the news, Malone said, and they weren’t happy.

But the proposal to place the cap on the fund has since been pulled, she said.

“Everybody is glad about that,” Malone said. “There were a lot of people worried.”