Code of Maine Rules › 65 - DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION › 407 - PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION › Chapter 293 - ABANDONMENT OF SERVICE AND AUTHORITY TO PROVIDE SERVICES AND TRANSFER OF CUSTOMERS BY COMPETITIVE TELECOMMUNCATIONS CARRIERS › Section 407-293-8 - ABANDONMENT OF ALL SERVICE AND TERMINATION OF AUTHORITY FOR A SERVICE CATEGORY BY A COMPETITIVE TELECOMMUNICATIONS CARRIER THAT HAS CUSTOMERS IN THAT SERVICE CATEGORY

Current through 2024-29, July 17, 2024
A.
Approval
				Generally Not Required
. Except as provided in Section
				8(D), if a
				competitive telecommunications carrier that has intrastate customers in Maine
				provides notice to the Commission that it intends to abandon all service to a
				specific service category (e.g., interexchange service or local exchange
				service), the approval of the Commission is not required, provided that the
				carrier complies with the rate schedule requirements of Section
				8(B) and the notice
				requirement of Section
				8(C). The abandonment
				of service and termination of authority to provide the service category shall
				be effective on the date stated in the notice to customers.
B.
Changes to Rate Schedules
.
				With the notice provided to the Commission pursuant to Section
				8(A), the competitive
				telecommunications carrier shall file any necessary changes to its rate
				schedulesthat will remove any services that are no longer available. The
				proposed changes shall bear a proposed effective date that is the same as the
				date of termination of service contained in the notice to customers contained
				in Section
				8(C) and shall become
				effective on that date.
C.
Notice to Customers; Copy of Customer Notice Provided to
				Commission
. A competitive telecommunications carrier that is abandoning
				service to a service category pursuant to this section, except for a carrier
				that is transferring customers to another carrier pursuant to Section
				12 and 47 C. F.R. §1120(e)(3),
				must provide written notice of the abandonment of service by mail to the
				customers who subscribe to the service. The notice shall state the date that
				service will be terminated, which shall be no earlier than 30 days after
				providing the notice to the customer. The carrier shall be in compliance with
				this time requirement if it mails the notice 35 days prior to the transfer
				date. A carrier that is abandoning local exchange service must include a
				warning in the notice that, if the customer is subscribed to long distance
				(toll) calling plans with a different in-state or interstate toll provider, the
				customer may lose those plans when the customer selects a new local exchange
				carrier and may revert to higher-priced non-calling plan rates. The warning
				shall advise the customer that to ensure continued subscription to any toll
				calling plans the customer should call the customer's in-state and interstate
				toll providers. The carrier shall provide a copy of its proposed notice to
				customers with the notice filed with the Commission pursuant to Section
				8(A).
D.
Exception: Pending
				Proceedings
. If any Commission proceedings or consumer complaints before
				the Consumer Assistance Division are pending against the competitive
				telecommunications carrier that involve the service category proposed to be
				discontinued, the Commission must approve the abandonment of service and
				partial termination of authority. No approval will be granted until the
				proceedings are final, the complaints are resolved, and the carrier has
				complied with the requirements of any orders or decisions issued by the
				Commission or the Consumer Assistance Division. In the alternative, the
				Commission may grant approval, but impose such terms, conditions or
				requirements as are necessary to protect the public interest, provided that
				jurisdiction shall continue over the competitive telecommunications carrier and
				the proceeding. Nothing in this subparagraph prohibits the Commission from
				temporarily terminating the authority of a carrier to provide service as
				permitted by law.