BIDDEFORD — When Craig Cantara, owner of Biddeford-based Pinnacle Wealth Management, received a call on his cellular phone Thursday that his landline telephone, serviced by the Biddeford company XATel, wasn’t working he was disturbed. His investment advisory business is dependent on a working telephone service.

With no telephone service, “I’m frightened this could put me out of business,” he said. He added that he was upset that there was no warning from XATel that his service could be disrupted.

Cantara is one of XATel’s approximately 150 customers whose telephone service was cut off when FairPoint terminated the use of its network to the Biddeford company because of non-payment of outstanding bills.

Some customers, like Cantara, plan to go elsewhere for service, putting this struggling local company even further behind the eight ball.

Others, like Biddeford resident Loretta Turner, are more understanding and plan to stick by the company, which is working with another network to connect its customers.

According to XATel, service was restored to customers on Friday. Although at press time a call to Cantara’s telephone number was met with a message that it was a non-working number.

The company’s co-owner Roland Lawler said service to his customers was cut off by FairPoint Communications due to an ongoing payment dispute.

 An initial bill from FairPoint was $221,000, and now, because of credits from improper billing its only $650, according to Lawler. FairPoint owes his company additional credits, he said, and once those credits are settled, his company would be owed money.

“We’ve been beaten up hard by FairPoint,” said Lawler. “They’re the big Goliath, and we’re the little David.”

FairPoint spokesman Jeff Nevins disagreed with Lawler’s assessment, and said while he didn’t know the exact amount XATel owes FairPoint, it is a “significant amount.”

Lawler said his company has had disputes with FairPoint’s billing practices since 2009.

Because of unpaid bills, in December 2010, FairPoint placed an embargo on XATel preventing it from getting new customers. In January 2011, FairPoint sent a notice to XATel requiring it to pay $46,000 by Feb. 15, 2011 or face disconnection.

XATel brought the case to the Maine Public Utilities Commission, which prevented FairPoint from disconnecting service, but allowed the embargo to continue.

Since then, some of the disputed claims have been found in XATel’s favor but not all, said Maine Public Utilities Commission Chairman Thomas Welch. He said  the commission found that the company still had a responsibility to pay FairPoint.

A PUC order issued earlier this week allowed FairPoint to disconnect its service to XATel.

“We just feel he’s had more than enough time to address the issue,” said Nevins. “It’s an issue that he owes us money and refuses to pay.”

Those still without service can still get through to emergency services by dialing 911, said Nevins.

— Staff Writer Dina Mendros can be contacted at 282-1535, Ext. 324 or dmendros@journaltribune.com.