Public Service Commission

103-6. Notice to be Posted. All railroad companies, operating in South Carolina as common carriers, shall be required to have printed in large type and kept posted in a conspicuous place in each waiting room at their depots in South Carolina, the following notice: NOTICE All rail…

103-600. Authorization of Rules. A. Section 58-9-810 of the Code of Laws of South Carolina, 1976, provides: ‘‘The commission may make such rules and regulations not inconsistent with law or statute as may be proper in the exercise of its powers or for the performance of its dutie…

103-601. Application of Rules. 1. Jurisdiction. These rules and regulations shall apply to any person, firm, partnership, coopera- tive or corporation, which is now or may hereafter become engaged as a telephone utility in the business of furnishing communications service to any …

103-602. Definitions. The following words and terms, when used in these rules and regulations, shall have the meaning indicated below.

103-602.1. Access Line. The circuit between a subscriber’s standard interface located on the subscriber’s premises and the central office.

103-602.10. Telephone Utility. A telephone utility operating under the jurisdiction of the commission.

103-602.11. Written or in Writing. Written or in writing includes, without limitation, electronic transmissions. HISTORY: Amended by State Register Volume 10, Issue No. 6, June 27, 1986; State Register Volume 14, Issue No. 3, eff March 23, 1990; State Register Volume 16, Issue No…

103-602.2. Commission. The Public Service Commission of South Carolina.

103-602.3. Customer. Any person, firm, association or corporation, or any agency of the Federal, State or local govern- ment, being supplied telecommunications service by a utility.

103-602.4. Interexchange Carrier. Carrier authorized by the commission to provide services related to long distance services.

103-602.5. ORS. Office of Regulatory Staff.

103-602.6. PSP. Payphone Service Provider.

103-602.7. Radio Common and Cellular Carrier. A mobile telecommunications carrier licensed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and authorized by the FCC to receive and transmit signals from mobile transmitter within a specified geographic area.

103-602.8. Reference. For the purpose of these rules and regulations the reference as specified in R.103-642 will be used for the definitions of terms, abbreviations, units of measure, etc.

103-602.9. Standard Network Interface Device. The point of demarcation between telephone company-owned facilities and customer-owned wiring and/or equipment.

103-603. Authorization for Rates and Charges. A. No schedules of rates or tariffs involving rates under the jurisdiction of the commission shall be changed until after proposed change has been approved by the commission, unless they are exempt from such approval by statute, order…

103-604. Territory and Certificated Area. Each telephone utility shall provide regulated service only within the areas authorized by the commission, unless exempt by commission action, order or statute. HISTORY: Amended by State Register Volume 31, Issue No. 4, eff April 27, 2007…

103-605. Telephone Utility Rules and Regulations. Each telephone utility shall adopt such rules, regulations, operating procedures, policies and instructions as may be necessary to govern all aspects of telephone service to its customers so long as those rules and regulations, op…

103-606. Service Offerings. Each telephone utility is authorized to offer such types, class, grades, classification and forms of service as it may deem necessary. HISTORY: Amended by State Register Volume 31, Issue No. 4, eff April 27, 2007.

103-607. Bonds or Other Security Mechanisms. This regulation applies to telephone utilities who provide retail residential local exchange services and who individually or together with their affiliates, have not invested at least five million dollars in telecommunications facilit…

103-610. Location of Records and Reports. All records required by these rules or necessary for the administration thereof, shall be kept within the State, unless otherwise authorized by the commission. These records shall be available for examination by the ORS, or its authorized…

103-611. Retention of Records. Retention of records shall be as specified in the Federal Communications Commission’s Rules and Regulations, Part 42, unless otherwise directed by the commission. Further, the telephone utility shall maintain sufficient records necessary to verify a…

103-612. Data to Be Filed with the Commission and Provided to the ORS. The telephone utility shall file the following documents and information: 1. Annual Report. Each telephone utility operating in the State shall file an annual report with the commission and provide a copy to t…

103-614. Interruption of Service. Each telephone utility shall keep a record of any condition resulting in any interruption of service affecting its entire system or major division of a telephone exchange, including a statement of the time, duration, cause of any such interruptio…

103-615. Accidents. Each telephone utility shall maintain adequate and accurate records of each accident happening in connection with the operation of its property, facilities, or service wherein any person shall have been killed or whereby any serious property damage shall have …

103-616. Complaints Received from the ORS. Each telephone utility shall keep a record of all complaints received from the ORS. This record shall show the name and address of the complainant, the date, the nature of the complaint, and the adjustment or disposal thereof. HISTORY: A…

103-617. Tests. Each telephone utility shall keep a record of all tests procedures which are performed as a result of these rules, unless otherwise directed by the commission. HISTORY: Amended by State Register Volume 31, Issue No. 4, eff April 27, 2007.

103-618. Service Reports. Each telephone utility shall provide the following service reports to the ORS on a quarterly basis within thirty (30) days of the end of each calendar quarter. A. Trouble reports per hundred access lines: The report shall contain the total number of actu…

103-619. Held Applications/Availability of Service. The following information shall be provided to the ORS on a quarterly basis within thirty (30) days of the end of each calendar quarter. Reported information which indicates that the commission’s specified objectives have not be…

103-620. Customer Information. Each telephone utility shall: a. Maintain up-to-date maps, plans, or records of its entire system, with other information as may be necessary to enable the telephone utility to advise prospective customers, and others entitled to the information, as…

103-621. Customer Deposits. A. Each telephone utility may require from any customer or from any prospective customer, a deposit intended to guarantee payment of bills for regulated service, if any of the following conditions exist: 1. The customer has had two 30-day arrearages in…

103-621.1. Deposit Receipt. Each utility shall maintain records of each deposit it receives from a customer and shall provide means whereby a customer may establish a claim regarding his deposit.

103-621.2. Amount of Deposit. A. For a new customer, a maximum deposit may be required up to an amount equal to an estimated two (2) months (60 days) total bill (including toll and taxes). For an existing customer, a maximum deposit may be required up to an amount equal to the to…

103-621.3. Interest on Deposits. A. Simple interest on deposits at the rate not less than that as prescribed by the commission shall be paid by the telephone utility to each customer required to make such deposit for the time it is held by the telephone utility. B. The interest s…

103-621.4. Deposit Records. Each telephone utility shall keep records to show: a. The name and address of each depositor. b. The amount and date of the deposit. c. The last transaction concerning the deposits. d. The reasons why deposit retained after two year retention period. (…

103-621.5. Deposit Retention. Deposits shall be refunded completely with interest after two years unless the customer has had two 30-day arrearages in the past 24 months, or has had service denied or interrupted for non- payment of bills, or has been sent more than two late payme…

103-621.6. Unclaimed Deposits. A record of each unclaimed deposit must be maintained for at least two years, during which time the telephone utility shall make a reasonable effort to return the deposit. Unclaimed deposits, together with accrued interest, shall be treated in accor…

103-621.7. Deposit Credit. Where a customer has been required to make a deposit, that deposit shall not relieve the customer of the obligation to pay the service bill when due, but where such deposit has been made and service has been disconnected because of nonpayment of account…

103-622. Customer Billing. Every telephone utility shall render each customer an accurate and timely bill.

103-622.1. Bill Forms. Each telephone utility’s bill must comply with the Federal Communications Commission’s ‘‘Truth in Billing Requirements’’ that are in effect at the time the utility’s bill is prepared.

103-622.2. Late Payment Charges. A maximum of one and one half percent (1 1/2 %) may be added to any unpaid balance brought forward from the previous billing date to cover the cost of collection and carrying accounts in arrears. This method of late payment charge will be made in …

103-622.3. Disconnection and Reconnection. Whenever regulated telephone service is denied or discontinued for any appropriate reason, the telephone utility may make a tariffed charge for cost incurred in disconnecting or discontinuing the regulated telephone service and reconnect…

103-622.4. Payment by Check. The telephone utility, at its option for good cause, may refuse to accept a check tendered as payment on a customer’s account.

103-622.5. Deferred Payment Plan. The telephone utility may provide for the arrangement of a deferred payment plan to enable a residential customer to make payment by installments where such customer is unable to pay the amount due for service. The deferred payment plan may requi…

103-623. Adjustment of Bills. If it is found that a telephone utility has directly or indirectly, by any devise whatsoever, demanded, charged, collected or received from any customer a greater or lesser compensation for any service rendered or to be rendered by such telephone uti…

103-623.1. Customer Willfully Overcharged. If the telephone utility has willfully overcharged any customer, the telephone utility shall refund the difference, plus interest, as stated in the South Carolina Code of Laws Section 34-31-20(A) or such future Code of Laws of South Caro…

103-623.2. Customer Inadvertently Overcharged. If the telephone utility has inadvertently overcharged a customer as a result of a misapplied schedule or any other human or machine error, the telephone utility shall, for any amount of one dollar ($1.00) or more (amounts less than …