Arkansas Administrative Code › Agency 126 - PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION › Division 03 - Utilities Section › Rule 126.03.07-008 - High Cost Fund Rules

Current through Register Vol. 49, No. 6, June, 2024
DEFINITIONS
Access Line
Exchange Line Cable and Wire Facilities Subcategories 1.1
				through 1.3 [Part 36.154(a)], or its functional equivalent.
Administrator
The administrator of the Arkansas High Cost Fund.
AHCF or Fund
The Arkansas High Cost Fund.
Categories of Eligible Telecommunications Carriers
				(ETCs)
Category I Company: All ETCs with a total customer access base
				or total customer base of 500,000 or more access lines as to wireline ETCs and
				customers as to non-wireline ETCs.
Category II Company: All ETCs with a total customer access base
				ot total customer base of 150,000 or more
access
lines as to
				wireline ETCs and customers as to non-wireline ETC, and less than 500,000
				access lines as to wireline ETCs and customers as to non-wireline ETCs.
Category III Company: All ETCs with a total customer access
				base or total customer base of 15,000 or more access lines as to wireline ETCs
				and customers as to non-wireline ETC, and less than 150,000 access lines as to
				wireline ETCs and customers as to non-wireline ETCs.
Category IV Company. All BTCs with a total customer access base
				or total customer base of less than 15,000 access lines as to wireline ETCs and
				customers as to non-wireline ETCs.
Access lines will be the primary determinant of a carrier's
				categorization. Any carrier desiring to use its customer count as an
				alternative basis of classification must include in its submission a report by
				an independent third party auditor attesting to the accuracy of the customer
				count as of December 31 of the prior year.
Central Office
A switching unit, in a telephone system which provides service
				to the general public, having the necessary equipment and operations
				arrangements for tenninatmg and interconnecting subscriber lines and trunks or
				trunks only. There may be more than one central office in a building.
Commercial Mobile Service
Cellular, Personal Communications Systems and any service
				regulated pursuant to Part 20 of the rules and regulations of the FCC (47 CFR
				Part 20) or any successor provisions.
Commission
The Arkansas Public Service Commission.
Customer
Any person, firm, partnership, cooperative corporation,
				corporation or lawful entity that has ordered and is receiving retail
				telecommunications services supplied by any telecommunications provider and is
				receiving a bill from the provider For services associated with one or more
				retail access lines.
Federal Act
The Communications Act of 1934. as amended.
FCC
The Federal Communications Commission.
Incumbent Local Exchange Carrier
With respect to a local exchange area, a local exchange
				carrier, including successors and assigns, that is certified by the Commission
				and was providing basic local exchange service on February 8,1996.
Intrastate Retail Telecommunications Service Revenues
Consistent with the definition adopted by the FCC in CC Docket
				96-45 released on May 8,1997, revenues derived fiom end users for
				telecommunications and telecommiinications services. This includes revenues
				derived from other carriers when such carriers utilize telecommunications
				services for their own internal uses.
Local Exchange Area
The geographic area, approved by the Commission, encompassing
				the area within which a local exchange carrier is authorized to provide basic
				local exchange services and switched access services. It may consist of one or
				more central offices together with associated plant used in furnishing
				telecommunications service in that area.
Local Exchange Carrier (LEC)
A telecommunications provider of basic local exchange service
				and switched access service. Such term does not include commercial mobile
				service providers.
Rural Telephone Company
A local exchange carrier defined as a rural telephone company
				in the Federal Act as of the effective date of the Telecommunications
				Regulatory Reform Act of 1997.
Telecommunications Provider
Any person, firm, partnership, corporation, association, or
				other entity that offers telecommunications services to the public for
				compensation.
Telecommunications Provider Rules or TPRs
Those rules applicable to certain telecommunications providers
				that have been adopted by the Commission.
Telecommunications Services
The offering to the public for compensation the transmission of
				voice, data, or other electronic information at any frequency over any part of
				the electromagnetic spectrum, notwithstanding any other use of the associated
				facilities. Such term does not include radio and television broadcast or
				distribution services or the provision or publishing of yellow pages,
				regardless of the entity providing such services, or services to the extent
				that such services are used in connection with the operation of an electric
				utility system owned by a government entity.
Total Access Lines
The number of access lines reported by the carrier to the
				National Exchange Carrier Association and/or its successor in the annual USF
				Data Collection or the equivalent for carriers not filing annual USF
				data.
Universal Services
Those telecommunications services that are defined and listed
				pursuant to Section 3 (5) of die Telecommunications Regulatory Reform Act of
				1997.
SECTION 1. JURISDICTION,
			 APPLICABILITY AND RELIEF
Rule 1.01.
Jurisdiction
The Commission has the authority and responsibility pursuant to
				Act 77 of 1997 and Act 385 of 2007 to assess a universal service fee upon all
				providers of telecommunications services, as defined by the rules of the
				Commission to support State universal service objectives.
Rule 1.02.
Application of
			 Rules
These Rules shall apply to telecomuumications providers who
				offer telecommunications services within the State of Arkansas.
Rule 1.03.
Relief from
			 Rules
Whenever compliance with any requirement of these Rules would
				result in unreasonable hardship upon or excessive expense to a party or parties
				subject to these Rules, the Commission may, upon application and for good cause
				shown, waive or modify the requirements of these Rules. The Commission may
				grant temporary relief pending a hearing.