35-A §7101-B. Access rates - Maine Statutes

Title 35-A: PUBLIC UTILITIES HEADING: PL 1987, C. 141, PT. A, §6 (NEW)

Part 7: TELECOMMUNICATIONS HEADING: PL 1987, C. 141, PT. A, §6 (NEW)

Chapter 71: GENERAL PROVISIONS HEADING: PL 1987, C. 141, PT. A, §6 (NEW)

§7101-B. Access rates

1. Definitions. As used in this section, the term "intrastate access rates" means rates that a telecommunications service provider pays for access to a local exchange carrier's facilities and services in order to provide intrastate interexchange service.

[ 1997, c. 259, §1 (NEW) .]

2. Access rates. After any decrease of interstate access rates by the Federal Government, the commission shall consider corresponding reductions in intrastate access rates, taking into account both the disadvantages to customers of intrastate access rates that exceed interstate access rates and the disadvantages to customers of increases in rates for local telephone service that may result from reductions in intrastate access rates.

A. By May 31, 2005, the commission shall ensure that intrastate access rates are equal to interstate access rates established by the Federal Communications Commission as of January 1, 2003. [2003, c. 101, §1 (NEW).]

B. If achieving the result required under paragraph A would result in an increase of more than 50% in the price of local telephone service, whether as a result of an increase in local service rates or an increase in universal service fund collections, the commission shall:

(1) Phase in intrastate access rate reductions through stepped reductions so as to produce as smooth a transition as possible; and

(2) To the maximum extent possible, keep increases in the price of local telephone service to no more than 50% for each stepped reduction in the intrastate access rate. [2003, c. 101, §1 (NEW).]

C. If interstate access rates are reduced by the Federal Communications Commission below the rates as of January 1, 2003, the commission may further require reductions in intrastate access rates beyond what is required under paragraph A, except that, within any 2-year period, the commission may not require such further access rate reduction if the result will be an increase of more than 50% in local service rates or an increase of more than 50% in the collection rate for the state universal service fund. [2003, c. 101, §1 (NEW).]

The commission may adopt rules to implement this subsection. Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.

[ 2003, c. 101, §1 (RPR) .]

3. Consumer rates. If the commission finds that effective competition in the intrastate interexchange market does not exist, the commission shall require all persons providing intrastate interexchange service to reduce their intrastate long-distance rates to reflect net reductions in intrastate access rates ordered by the commission pursuant to subsection 2.

[ 1997, c. 259, §1 (NEW) .]

SECTION HISTORY

1997, c. 259, §1 (NEW). 2003, c. 101, §1 (AMD).