Virginia Administrative Code › Title 20 - PUBLIC UTILITIES AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS › Agency 5 - STATE CORPORATION COMMISSION › Chapter 413 - RULES GOVERNING DISCONNECTION OF LOCAL EXCHANGE TELEPHONE SERVICE › Section 20VAC5-413-5 - Definitions

Current through Register Vol. 40, No. 24, July 15, 2024
The following words and terms when used in this chapter
				  shall have the following meanings unless the context clearly indicates
				  otherwise:
"Ancillary services" mean a service or services that are
				  supplemental or incidental to the provision of basic telephone service
				  including, but not limited to, directory assistance, directory listings, voice
				  mail, vertical services, or detailed billing.
"Basic bundle" means a bundled service that includes basic
				  telephone service and additional service components in the designated group of
				  services. The additional service components of the basic bundle are limited to
				  vertical and ancillary services, interstate and intrastate interexchange
				  services provided by the LEC or an affiliated carrier of the LEC, or any
				  combination of these additional components.
"Basic telephone service" means the customer's dial tone
				  line and local usage. Local usage can be purchased on a flat rate, measured, or
				  per message basis, or some combination thereof.
"Bona fide dispute" means
(i) a dispute on an identified charge or
				charges between the LEC and its customer that is being investigated and is
				pending a determination by the LEC or
(ii) a dispute on an identified charge or
				charges being investigated and pending disposition by the commission.
"Bundled service" means a designated group of services or
				  products offered to customers at a package or set price. A bundled service may
				  consist of regulated and nonregulated services or products.
"Commission" means the State Corporation Commission.
"Customer" means any person, firm, partnership, corporation,
				  or lawful entity that purchases local exchange telecommunications
				  services.
"Dial tone" means the audible sound that a customer hears
				  when the telephone is taken off hook. The sound advises a customer that the
				  telephone line is active and available for use.
"Disconnect" means the LEC's intentional cessation of
				  service or services to a customer.
"Fee or surcharge" means an additional charge appearing on
				  the customer's bill separate from the rates and charges for a service or
				  product. These charges may be specifically authorized by a regulatory or
				  legislative body, or in other instances, may be initiated by a LEC or other
				  carrier.
"Interexchange carrier (IXC)" means a carrier that offers
				  interexchange long-distance telecommunications services.
"Interexchange service" means interexchange telephone
				  service as defined by § 56-1 of the Code of Virginia.
"Interstate" means service that originates in one state and
				  terminates in another state.
"Intrastate" means service that originates and terminates
				  within a state.
"Local exchange carrier (LEC)" means a certificated provider
				  of local exchange services.
"Local exchange service" or "local exchange services" for
				  purposes of this chapter means the offerings provided by a LEC certificated
				  pursuant to Chapter 10.1 (§ 56-265.1 et seq.) of Title 56 of the Code of
				  Virginia.
"Selective toll blocking" means the ability to block calls
				  from a specific customer's telephone line or lines from being routed to, or
				  carried by, a specific IXC.
"Subscriber line charge (SLC)" means a per line charge
				  allowed by the Federal Communications Commission appearing on a customer's
				  local telephone bill intended to recover a portion of a LEC's interstate costs.
				  A SLC or comparable charge may be identified on the bill by other names, such
				  as access line charge or end user common line charge.
"Telecommunications relay service (TRS)" means
				  telecommunications relay service as defined by § 56-484.4 of the Code of
				  Virginia or successor statute.
"Universal service fund (USF)" means a federal government
				  program, the goal of which is to help make telephone service affordable and
				  available to all households. The USF provides support for low income
				  households, high cost (i.e. rural) LECs, schools and libraries, and rural
				  healthcare. The USF is funded by assessments on telecommunications carriers,
				  many of which charge their customers a fee to recover the assessments.
"Vertical services" means optional, advanced calling
				  features associated with a customer's basic telephone service such as, but not
				  limited to, the ability to identify callers and manage multiple
				  calls.
Statutory Authority
§ 12.1-13 of the Code of Virginia.