South Carolina Code of Regulations › Chapter 103 - PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION › Article 6 - TELECOMMUNICATIONS UTILITIES › Subarticle 8 - TELECOMMUNICATION RELAY SERVICE ADVISORY COMMITTEE › Section 103-690.1 - Annual Reporting Requirements for Designated Eligible Telecommunications Carriers

Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 6, June 28, 2024
A. Purpose.
The purpose of this regulation is to specify the annual
				  reporting requirements for designated Eligible Telecommunications Carriers
				  (ETCs).
B. Annual Reporting
				Requirements for ETCs Designated after January 1, 2007.
This section shall apply to all eligible telecommunications
				  carriers who are designated after January 1, 2007.
(a) Filing Deadlines. For ETCs who are
				designated after January 1, 2007, in order for the common carrier designated
				under 47 U.S.C. Section 214(e)(2) to continue to receive support for the
				following calendar year, or retain its eligible telecommunications carrier
				designation, it must file with the commission and provide a copy to the ORS the
				annual reporting information in paragraph (b) no later than June 30, 2008, and
				thereafter annually by June 30th of each year. The information provided should
				cover the previous twelve (12) month period ending December 31st. The ORS shall
				review each ETC annual report and notify the commission on or before August
				20th annually in writing as to the ORS's opinion as to whether the carrier is
				in compliance with federal and state regulations and rules. The commission,
				after holding a hearing, if it deems a hearing is necessary, shall determine
				based upon the information provided to it whether the carrier is in compliance
				with federal and state regulations and rules and shall notify the Federal
				Communications Commission and the Universal Service Administrative Company of
				each company's compliance by October 1st of the reporting year thereby ensuring
				that each ETC designated by the commission is authorized to receive federal
				support for the upcoming fiscal year.
Reports must also contain a commitment by wireless applicants
				  to comply with the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association's
				  Consumer Code for Wireless Service as of May 18, 2008, or a commitment by other
				  ETCs that they meet the service quality standards outlined in Section
				  103-663. For
				  the purpose of this regulation, access lines and handsets shall be used
				  interchangeably.
(b) A
				common carrier designated under 47 U.S.C. Section 214(e)(2) as an eligible
				telecommunications carrier after January 1, 2007 shall provide:
(1) a progress report on its two-year service
				quality improvement plan, including maps detailing its progress toward meeting
				its plan targets, an explanation of how much universal service support was
				received and how it was used to improve signal quality, coverage, or capacity,
				and an explanation regarding any network improvement targets that have not been
				fulfilled. The information shall be submitted at the wire center level.
				Additionally, an updated forward-looking two-year plan shall be filed
				annually;
(2) detailed information
				on any outage, as defined in 47 C.F.R.Section 4.5, of at least 30 minutes in
				duration for each service area in which an eligible telecommunications carrier
				is designated for any facilities it owns, operates, leases, or otherwise
				utilizes that potentially affect (a) at least ten percent of the end users
				served in a designated service area; or (b) a 911 special facility, as defined
				in 47 C.F.R. Section 4.5(e). Specifically, the eligible telecommunications
				carrier's annual report must include information detailing: (a) the date and
				time of onset of the outage; (b) a brief description of the outage and its
				resolution; (c) the particular services affected; (d) the geographic areas
				affected by the outage; (e) steps taken to prevent a similar situation in the
				future; and (f) the number of customers affected;
(3) the number of requests for service from
				potential customers within the eligible telecommunications carrier's service
				areas that were unfulfilled during the past year. The carrier shall also detail
				how it attempted to provide service to those potential customers;
(4) the number of complaints or trouble
				reports per 1000 handsets or access lines;
(5) certification that it is complying with
				applicable service quality standards and consumer protection rules, as
				designated by the commission;
(6) a
				detailed report and certification that the carrier is able to function in
				emergency situations;
(7) for
				non-incumbent local exchange carriers certification that the carrier is
				offering a local usage plan comparable to that offered by the incumbent LEC in
				the relevant service areas;
(8)
				certification that the carrier acknowledges that the Federal Communications
				Commission may require it to provide equal access to long distance carriers in
				the event that no other eligible telecommunications carrier is providing equal
				access within the service area;
(9)
				the number of Lifeline customers and the number of customers that received Link
				Up assistance as of December 31st of the prior year;
(10) copies of responses to the Lifeline
				Verification Survey or Certification filed with the Universal Service
				Administrative Company on August 31st of each year; and
(11) For ETCs not eligible for High Cost Fund
				support, but participating in the Lifeline and Link Up programs, subsections
				(1) and (2) shall be waived. All other requirements shall remain in force,
				except that the requirements of (6) may be met by reference to an underlying
				carrier's continuing certification as for leased facilities.