Code of Maine Rules › 65 - DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION › 407 - PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION › Chapter 204 - BASIC SERVICE CALLING AREAS › Section 407-204-2 - Definitions

Current through 2024-29, July 17, 2024
A.
Basic-Service Calling Area
.
				"Basic-Service Calling Area" (BSCA) is the local (non-interexchange) calling
				area of the "home exchange" of a customer of a "local exchange carrier," as
				defined in this section. The BSCA includes all exchanges that were in the BSCA
				prior to the amendments effective in December 2002 plus all exchanges that are
				contiguous to the home exchange that were not included prior to the December
				2002 amendments. Within a BSCA, there may be Economy and Premium calling
				options with flat-rate and per-minute pricing as specified in the definitions
				of those options and in Section
				5. For all options, the BSCA includes
				all of the exchanges that are included in the calling option with the largest
				flat-rate calling area.
B.
Commission
. "Commission" means the Maine Public Utilities
				Commission.
C.
Contiguous
				Exchange
. An exchange is "contiguous" to another exchange if any
				portions of the exchange boundaries of the two exchanges touch each other. If
				the boundaries touch each other only in a body of water, the two exchanges
				shall not be considered contiguous for the purpose of this Chapter unless a
				bridge or causeway capable of carrying motor vehicle traffic crosses the body
				of water and connects land portions of the two exchanges.
D.
Customer
. For the purpose of
				this chapter, a "Customer" is a person who has an account for basic local
				exchange telephone service in Maine from a local exchange carrier.
E.
December 2002 Amendments
.
				"December 2002 amendments" refers to the amendments to Chapter 204 effective in
				December 2002, pursuant to the rulemaking proceeding in Docket Number
				2001-865.
F.
Economy Calling
				Option
. The "Economy Calling Option" is a basic-service calling area
				option that has a flat monthly rate for unlimited calling within the home
				exchange and, unless otherwise ordered by the Commission, all exchanges that
				were included in the home exchange's Economy calling area immediately before
				the December 2002 amendments, and a per-minute charge for calls to other
				exchanges within the BSCA. If an exchange is served by more than one central
				office or wire center and its Premium calling area includes more than 50,000
				access lines, the Economy calling area is the home exchange.
G.
Eligible Telecommunications Carrier
				(ETC)
. An "Eligible telecommunications carrier" is a local exchange
				carrier designated by the Commission pursuant to 47 U.S.C. §214(e) as an
				eligible telecommunications carrier for the purpose of receiving universal
				service funding pursuant to 47 U.S.C. §254.
H.
Exchange
. "Exchange" is a
				specific geographic area with boundaries established by a Telephone Utility's
				service area maps on file with the Commission as part of the Utility's Terms
				and Conditions. An exchange may include one or more wire centers or central
				offices.
I.
Home
				Exchange
. The "Home exchange" is the exchange in which the customer's
				telephone line is located and from which the customer receives local exchange
				service. For the purpose of this Chapter, if a customer subscribes to foreign
				exchange service, the "foreign" exchange shall be considered a "home" exchange
				for that customer. All customers of a "home" exchange may choose one of the
				basic-service calling area options available in that exchangeif more than one
				is available..
J.
Local
				Exchange Carrier (LEC)
. For the purpose of this Chapter, "Local exchange
				carrier" or "LEC" means a telephone utility, as defined by 35-A M.S.R.A.
				§102(19), that provides local exchange service and is designated by the
				Commission as an "eligible telecommunications carrier." A local exchange
				carrier provides loop and local switching services, to customers in an
				exchange, either directly or through resale.
K.
Municipal Calling
. "Municipal
				Calling" is provided to all customers of a local exchange carrier as part of
				basic local exchange service and allows a customer to call all other customers
				located in the municipal civil division in which the calling customer receives
				telephone service without incurring additional charges, regardless of the
				exchange that serves the telephone lines of the other customers.
L.
Premium Option
. The "Premium
				Option" is a Basic Service Calling Area option that has a flat monthly rate for
				unlimited calling from the Home Exchange to the all of the exchanges within the
				BSCA. Exchanges in which the Premium and the Economy options are identical are
				classified as having only a Premium calling area.
M.
Rate Group
. A "rate group" is
				a rate classification for local exchange service contained in the terms and
				conditions of a local exchange carrier. A rate group typically classifies rates
				for the home exchange according to the number of lines that may be called
				within the BSCA of the home exchange.
N.
Residential Customer
. A
				"residential customer" is a customer who has telephone service at a dwelling
				and the service is used primarily for domestic or social purposes. All other
				customers are non-residential customers.
O.
School Administrative Unit
.
				"School Administrative Unit" is defined in
				 20-A M.R.S.A.
				§1(26). For the purpose
				of this Chapter, a School Administrative Unit includes School Administrative
				Districts (SADs), as defined in
				 20-A M.R.S.A.
				§1(25) and Community
				School Districts,as defined in
				 20-A M.R.S.A.
				§§1(5) and
				1601(1).
P.
Service Center
. A "Service
				Center" is a town or city designated by the Maine State Planning Office (SPO)
				as a regional service center in Chapter 220 of its rules, Methodology For
				Identification of Regional Service Centers.
Q.
Single Exchange BSCA
. A
				"single exchange BSCA" is a Basic-Service Calling Area that includes only the
				home exchange.