2023 Texas Statutes › Utilities Code › Title 2 - Public Utility Regulatory Act › Subtitle C - Telecommunications Utilities › Chapter 51 - General Provisions › Section 51.002. Definitions

Sec. 51.002.  DEFINITIONS.  In this subtitle:
(1)  "Basic local telecommunications service" means:
(A)  flat rate residential and business local exchange telephone service, including primary directory listings;
(B)  tone dialing service;
(C)  access to operator services;
(D)  access to directory assistance services;
(E)  access to 911 service provided by a local authority or dual party relay service;
(F)  the ability to report service problems seven days a week;
(G)  lifeline and tel-assistance services;  and
(H)  any other service the commission determines after a hearing is a basic local telecommunications service.
(2)  "Dominant carrier" means a provider of a communication service provided wholly or partly over a telephone system who the commission determines has sufficient market power in a telecommunications market to control prices for that service in that market in a manner adverse to the public interest.  The term includes a provider who provided local exchange telephone service within a certificated exchange area on September 1, 1995, as to that service and as to any other service for which a competitive alternative is not available in a particular geographic market.  In addition, with respect to:
(A)  intraLATA long distance message telecommunications service originated by dialing the access code "1-plus," the term includes a provider of local exchange telephone service in a certificated exchange area for whom the use of that access code for the origination of "1-plus" intraLATA calls in the exchange area is exclusive;  and
(B)  interexchange services, the term does not include an interexchange carrier that is not a certificated local exchange company.
(3)  "Incumbent local exchange company" means a local exchange company that has a certificate of convenience and necessity on September 1, 1995.
(3-a)  "Internet Protocol enabled service" means a service, capability, functionality, or application that uses Internet Protocol or a successor protocol to allow an end user to send or receive a data, video, or voice communication in Internet Protocol or a successor protocol.
(4)  "Local exchange company" means a telecommunications utility that has a certificate of convenience and necessity or a certificate of operating authority to provide in this state:
(A)  local exchange telephone service;
(B)  basic local telecommunications service;  or
(C)  switched access service.
(5)  "Local exchange telephone service" means telecommunications service provided within an exchange to establish connections between customer premises within the exchange, including connections between a customer premises and a long distance provider serving the exchange.  The term includes tone dialing service, service connection charges, and directory assistance services offered in connection with basic local telecommunications service and interconnection with other service providers.  The term does not include the following services, whether offered on an intraexchange or interexchange basis:
(A)  central office based PBX-type services for systems of 75 stations or more;
(B)  billing and collection services;
(C)  high-speed private line services of 1.544 megabits or greater;
(D)  customized services;
(E)  private line or virtual private line services;
(F)  resold or shared local exchange telephone services if permitted by tariff;
(G)  dark fiber services;
(H)  non-voice data transmission service offered as a separate service and not as a component of basic local telecommunications service;
(I)  dedicated or virtually dedicated access services;  or
(J)  any other service the commission determines is not a "local exchange telephone service."
(6)  "Long run incremental cost" has the meaning assigned by 16 T.A.C. Section 23.91 or its successor.
(7)  "Pricing flexibility" includes:
(A)  customer specific contracts;
(B)  packaging of services;
(C)  volume, term, and discount pricing;
(D)  zone density pricing, with a zone to be defined as an exchange;  and
(E)  other promotional pricing.
(8)  "Public utility" or "utility" means a person or river authority that owns or operates for compensation in this state equipment or facilities to convey, transmit, or receive communications over a telephone system as a dominant carrier.  The term includes a lessee, trustee, or receiver of any of those entities, or a combination of those entities.  The term does not include a municipal corporation.  A person is not a public utility solely because the person:
(A)  furnishes or furnishes and maintains a private system;
(B)  manufactures, distributes, installs, or maintains customer premise communications equipment and accessories;  or
(C)  furnishes a telecommunications service or commodity only to itself, its employees, or its tenants as an incident of employment or tenancy, if that service or commodity is not resold to or used by others.
(9)  "Separation" means the division of plant, revenues, expenses, taxes, and reserves applicable to exchange or local service if these items are used in common to provide public utility service to both local exchange telephone service and other service, such as interstate or intrastate toll service.
(10)  "Telecommunications provider":
(A)  means:
(i)  a certificated telecommunications utility;
(ii)  a shared tenant service provider;
(iii)  a nondominant carrier of telecommunications services;
(iv)  a provider of commercial mobile service as defined by Section 332(d), Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. Section 151 et seq.), Federal Communications Commission rules, and the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993 (Public Law 103-66), except that the term does not include these entities for the purposes of Chapter 17, 55, or 64;
(v)  a telecommunications entity that provides central office based PBX-type sharing or resale arrangements;
(vi)  an interexchange telecommunications carrier;
(vii)  a specialized common carrier;
(viii)  a reseller of communications;
(ix)  a provider of operator services;
(x)  a provider of customer-owned pay telephone service;  or
(xi)  a person or entity determined by the commission to provide telecommunications services to customers in this state;  and
(B)  does not mean:
(i)  a provider of enhanced or information services, or another user of telecommunications services, who does not also provide telecommunications services;  or
(ii)  a state agency or state institution of higher education, or a service provided by a state agency or state institution of higher education.
(11)  "Telecommunications utility" means:
(A)  a public utility;
(B)  an interexchange telecommunications carrier, including a reseller of interexchange telecommunications services;
(C)  a specialized communications common carrier;
(D)  a reseller of communications;
(E)  a communications carrier who conveys, transmits, or receives communications wholly or partly over a telephone system;
(F)  a provider of operator services as defined by Section 55.081, unless the provider is a subscriber to customer-owned pay telephone service;  and
(G)  a separated affiliate or an electronic publishing joint venture as defined in Chapter 63.
(12)  "Tier 1 local exchange company" has the meaning assigned by the Federal Communications Commission.
(13)  "Voice over Internet Protocol service" means a service that:
(A)  uses Internet Protocol or a successor protocol to enable a real-time, two-way voice communication that originates from or terminates to the user's location in Internet Protocol or a successor protocol;
(B)  requires a broadband connection from the user's location; and
(C)  permits a user generally to receive a call that originates on the public switched telephone network and to terminate a call to the public switched telephone network.
Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 166, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1997.  Amended by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 1212, Sec. 5, eff. Sept. 1, 1999;  Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 1579, Sec. 4, eff. Aug. 30, 1999;  Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 651, Sec. 5, eff. Sept. 1, 2001.
Amended by:
Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 98 (S.B. 980), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2011.