Texas Administrative Code

(a) Purpose. The purpose of this section is to establish a code of conduct in order to implement Public Utility Regulatory Act (PURA) §51.001 and §64.001 relating to fair business practices and safeguards against fraudulent, unfair, misleading, deceptive, or anticompetitive pract…

(a) Purpose. The purpose of this section is to establish the market tests to be applied in determining if markets with populations less than 100,000 should remain regulated. (b) Application. This section applies to all incumbent local exchange companies (ILECs), as defined in § 2…

(a) Definitions. The following words and terms, when used in this section, shall have the following meanings, unless the context indicates otherwise. (1) Distance learning--Instruction, learning, and training that is transmitted from one site to one or more sites by telecommunica…

(a) Purpose. The purpose of this section is to implement Public Utility Regulatory Act (PURA) §55.014 regarding the provision of advanced services to facilitate connection of end users to the Internet. This section is also intended to promote the policy, pursuant to PURA §51.001(…

(a) Purpose and application. (1) Purpose. The purpose of this section is to establish procedures and pricing guidelines that small incumbent local exchange companies (ILECs), because of their special characteristics, may use to expedite commission approval of services and rates i…

(a) Purpose. A cooperative seeking to partially deregulate or to reverse partial deregulation shall utilize the voting procedures required in this section. (b) Definition. The term "majority vote" shall mean a vote of more than 50% of the valid ballots returned by the cooperative…

(a) Purpose. The provisions of this section: (1) establish the minimum criteria and standards for reclassifying a basic network service as a discretionary service or competitive service; or a discretionary service as a competitive service, in accordance with the Public Utility Re…

(a) Application. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, in this section the term "utility," insofar as it relates to telecommunications utilities, shall refer to dominant certificated telecommunications utilities (DCTUs). (b) Components of cost of service. Except as prov…

(a) This subsection applies to small local exchange carriers as defined in § 26.5 of this title (relating to Definitions). (b) Notwithstanding § 26.201 (a)-(c) of this title (relating to Cost of Service), a SLEC's future construction plans and operational changes may be considere…

(a) General. Dominant certificated telecommunications utility (DCTU) rates for intrastate access services shall be established in accordance with the provisions of this section. Nothing in this section precludes a DCTU from offering new, experimental, promotional, or competitive …

(a) General. Dominant certificated telecommunications utilities (DCTUs) shall use depreciation rates approved by the commission to determine depreciation expense and provide for accumulated depreciation (also referred to as depreciation reserve). For purposes of this section, dep…

(a) Application. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, in this section the term "utility" or "public utility" refers to a dominant carrier. (b) Purpose. This section establishes standards for the form, filing and review of a dominant certificated telecommunications util…

(a) Application. This section establishes the process for commission review of a dominant certificated telecommunications utility (DCTU) tariff and tariff amendments. A DCTU must meet the requirements of this section to file a new tariff or amend an existing tariff to which this …

(a) Application. This section applies to dominant certificated telecommunications utilities (DCTUs), as that term is defined by § 26.5 of this title (relating to Definitions). (1) The services to which this section applies are those that are a subset of a service for which the ut…

(a) Purpose. The purpose of the rules in this subchapter is to ensure certain customer protections in the provision of local telecommunications service by certificated telecommunications utilities (CTUs) and to establish minimum customer service standards that a CTU shall meet in…

(a) Application. This section applies to dominant certificated telecommunications utilities (DCTUs) as that term is defined by § 26.5 of this title (relating to Definitions) which are subject to the ratemaking jurisdiction of the commission for any service or market. (1) A DCTU m…

(a) Application. The provisions of this section apply to an incumbent local exchange company (ILEC) . This section does not apply to a deregulated company holding a certificate of operating authority or to an exempt carrier under PURA §52.154. (b) Purpose. The purpose of this sec…

(a) Application. This section applies to ILECs with annual revenues from regulated telecommunications operations in Texas of less than $100 million for five consecutive years. (b) Purpose. This section will be used to determine the long run incremental costs incurred by ILECs in …

(a) Application. This section shall apply to DCTUs with annual revenues from regulated telecommunications operations in Texas of $100 million or more for five consecutive years. An incumbent local exchange carrier that is not a Tier 1 local exchange company as of September 1, 199…

(a) Purpose. The purpose of this section is to establish educational percentage discount rates (E-Rates) for intrastate telecommunications services, Internet access, and internal connections that are equivalent to those adopted for interstate services by the Federal Communication…

(a) Purpose. This section establishes procedures for processing requests for extended area service (EAS) in accordance with Public Utility Regulatory Act (PURA), Chapter 55, Subchapter B. On or after September 1, 2011, the commission will not require a telecommunications provider…

(a) Purpose. The purpose of this section is to implement Public Utility Regulatory Act (PURA) §60.021, which requires an incumbent local exchange company (ILEC), at a minimum, to unbundle its network to the extent ordered by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). (b) Applic…

(a) Dominant certificated telecommunications utility (DCTU). (1) Suspension or disconnection policy. If a DCTU chooses to suspend or disconnect a customer's basic local telecommunications service, it must follow the procedures in this subsection or modify them in ways that are mo…

(a) Definitions. The following words and terms, when used in this section, shall have the following meanings unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. (1) Local exchange company (LEC)--As defined in the Public Utility Regulatory Act, Texas Utilities Code § 51.002(4) (Vernon…

The adoption of this chapter will in no way preclude the Public Utility Commission of Texas from altering or amending any sections of this chapter in whole or in part, or from requiring any other or additional service, equipment, facility, or standard, either upon complaint or up…

(a) Application. Subsection (b)(4)(C)(viii) of this section does not apply to a deregulated company holding a certificate of operating authority, or to an exempt carrier that meets the criteria of Public Utility Regulatory Act (PURA) §52.154. (b) Certificated telecommunications u…

(a) Purpose. The provisions of this subchapter are intended to ensure that competitive operator services are provided in a fair and reasonable manner and to maximize consumer choice by ensuring that consumers have access to their carriers of choice when using telephones intended …

(a) Application. This section does not apply to a deregulated company holding a certificate of operating authority or to an exempt carrier under Public Utility Act (PURA) §52.154. (b) Requirements to provide operator service. (1) An operator service provider (OSP) that provides e…

(a) Validation information. Each DCTU shall make validation information (e.g., DCTU calling card numbers, whether an access line is equipped with billed number screening, or whether an access line is a pay telephone) available to any interexchange carrier requesting it on the sam…

(a) This section does not apply to a deregulated company holding a certificate of operating authority or to an exempt carrier under Public Utility Act (PURA) §52.154. (b) A contract between an operator service provider (OSP) and a call aggregator for the provision of operator ser…

(a) This section does not apply to a deregulated company holding a certificate of operating authority or to an exempt carrier under Public Utility Act (PURA) §52.154. (b) A contract between an operator service provider (OSP) and a call aggregator for the provision of operator ser…

(a) Purpose. The provisions of this section are intended to ensure that each customer in this state are protected from unauthorized charges on a customer's telecommunications utility bill. This section establishes the requirements necessary to obtain and verify customer consent f…

(a) This section does not apply to a deregulated company holding a certificate of operating authority or to an exempt carrier under Public Utility Act (PURA) §52.154. (b) A contract between an operator service provider (OSP) and a call aggregator for the provision of operator ser…

(a) Purpose. Incumbent local exchange companies (ILECs) serving high cost and rural areas of the state may require financial assistance, in addition to the funds provided by § 26.403 of this title (relating to Texas High Cost Universal Service Plan (THCUSP)), by § 26.404 of this …

(a) Purpose. This section implements PURA §56.023(p) and (r) and establishes the criteria and process for determining whether Texas Universal Service Fund (TUSF) support under § 26.403 of this title (relating to Texas High Cost Universal Service Plan (THCUSP)) to a competitive El…

(a) Purpose. The purpose of this section is to implement the provisions of the Public Utility Regulatory Act (PURA) §56.028. (b) Applicability. Under this section, an incumbent local exchange company (ILEC) that is not an electing company under PURA Chapters 58 and 59 may request…

(a) Scope and purpose. Through this section, the commission seeks to identify and make available Lifeline Service to all qualifying customers and households, establish a procedure for Lifeline Automatic Enrollment and Lifeline Self-Enrollment, and define the responsibilities of a…

(a) Scope and purpose. Through this section, the commission seeks to extend Link Up Service to all eligible residents of Tribal lands seeking telecommunications service from a telecommunications carrier that is receiving federal high-cost support on Tribal lands and define the re…

(a) Purpose. The provisions of this section are intended to establish a statewide telecommunications relay service for individuals who are hearing-impaired or speech-impaired using specialized telecommunications devices and operator translations. Telecommunications relay service …

(a) Purpose. The provisions of this section are intended to establish procedures for a specialized telecommunications assistance program and for reimbursement to vendors and service providers who submit vouchers issued under the program. (b) Program responsibilities. (1) Commissi…

(a) Purpose. This section provides the requirements for the commission to designate telecommunications providers as eligible telecommunications providers (ETPs) to receive funds from the Texas Universal Service Fund (TUSF) under § 26.403 of this title (relating to the Texas High …

(a) Purpose. This section provides the requirements for the commission to designate common carriers as eligible telecommunications carriers (ETCs) to receive support from the federal universal service fund (FUSF) in accordance with 47 United States Code (U.S.C.) §214(e) (relating…

(a) Scope and Purpose. This section provides the requirements for the commission to designate certificated providers of local exchange telephone service that provide this service solely through the resale of an incumbent local exchange carrier's (ILEC) services as an eligible tel…

(a) Purpose. The provisions of this section establish the administration of the Texas Universal Service Fund (TUSF). (b) Programs included in the TUSF. (1) Section 26.403 of this title (relating to the Texas High Cost Universal Service Plan (THCUSP)); (2) Section 26.404 of this t…

(a) Purpose. The provisions of this section establish the procedures for the commission to designate an eligible telecommunications provider (ETP) to provide voice-grade services to permanent residential or business premises that are not included within the certificated area of a…

(a) Except for a local exchange company exempted in subsection (e) of this section a dominant carrier shall not sell, acquire, lease or rent any plant as an operating unit or system in the State of Texas for a total consideration in excess of $10 million unless the public utility…

(a) All transactions involving the sale of 50% or more of the stock of a dominant carrier except a local exchange company exempted in subsection (b) of this section, shall be reported to the commission while pending or within 30 days after closing. (b) Incumbent local exchange co…