Ohio Code 4927.11 – Access to basic local exchange service
(A) Except as otherwise provided in this section and section 4927.10 of the Revised Code, an incumbent local exchange carrier shall provide basic local exchange service to all persons or entities in its service area requesting that service, and that service shall be provided on a reasonable and nondiscriminatory basis.
Terms Used In Ohio Code 4927.11
- Basic local exchange service: means residential-end-user access to and usage of telephone-company-provided services over a single line or small-business-end-user access to and usage of telephone-company-provided services over the primary access line of service, which in the case of residential and small-business access and usage is not part of a bundle or package of services, that does both of the following:
(a) Enables a customer to originate or receive voice communications within a local service area as that area exists on September 13, 2010, or as that area is changed with the approval of the public utilities commission;
(b) Consists of all of the following services:
(i) Local dial tone service;
(ii) For residential end users, flat-rate telephone exchange service;
(iii) Touch tone dialing service;
(iv) Access to and usage of 9-1-1 services, where such services are available;
(v) Access to operator services and directory assistance;
(vi) Provision of a telephone directory in any reasonable format, which includes, at the telephone company's option, an internet-accessible database of directory listings, for no additional charge and a listing in that directory, with reasonable accommodations made for private listings, and for a telephone company that no longer offers a printed directory, provision of reasonable customer notice of the available options to obtain directory information;
(vii) Per call, caller identification blocking services;
(viii) Access to telecommunications relay service; and
(ix) Access to toll presubscription, interexchange or toll providers or both, and networks of other telephone companies. See Ohio Code 4927.01
- Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
- Incumbent local exchange carrier: means , with respect to an area, the local exchange carrier that:
(a) On February 8, 1996, provided telephone exchange service in such area; and
(b)(i) On February 8, 1996, was deemed to be a member of the exchange carrier association pursuant to 47 C. See Ohio Code 4927.01
- Local exchange carrier: means any person engaged in the provision of telephone exchange service, or the offering of access to telephone exchange service or facilities for the purpose of originating or terminating telephone toll service. See Ohio Code 4927.01
- Person: includes an individual, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, and association. See Ohio Code 1.59
- Rule: includes regulation. See Ohio Code 1.59
- Telecommunications: means the transmission, between or among points specified by the user, of information of the user's choosing, without change in the form or content of the information as sent and received. See Ohio Code 4927.01
- Telecommunications service: means the offering of telecommunications for a fee directly to the public, or to such classes of users as to be effectively available directly to the public, regardless of the facilities used. See Ohio Code 4927.01
- Telephone company: means a company described in division (A) of section 4905. See Ohio Code 4927.01
(B)(1) An incumbent local exchange carrier is not obligated to construct facilities and provide basic local exchange service, or any other telecommunications service, to the occupants of multitenant real estate, including, but not limited to, apartments, condominiums, subdivisions, office buildings, or office parks, if the owner, operator, or developer of the multitenant real estate does any of the following to the benefit of any other telecommunications service provider:
(a) Permits only one provider of telecommunications service to install the company’s facilities or equipment during the construction or development phase of the multitenant real estate;
(b) Accepts or agrees to accept incentives or rewards that are offered by a telecommunications service provider to the owner, operator, developer, or occupants of the multitenant real estate and are contingent on the provision of telecommunications service by that provider to the occupants, to the exclusion of services provided by other telecommunications service providers;
(c) Collects from the occupants of the multitenant real estate any charges for the provision of telecommunications service to the occupants, including charges collected through rents, fees, or dues.
(2) A carrier not obligated to construct facilities and provide basic local exchange service pursuant to division (B)(1) of this section shall notify the public utilities commission of that fact within one hundred twenty days of receiving knowledge thereof.
(3) The commission by rule may establish a process for determining a necessary successor telephone company to provide service to real estate described in division (B)(1) of this section when the circumstances described in that division cease to exist.
(4) An incumbent local exchange carrier that receives a request from any person or entity to provide service under the circumstances described in division (B)(1) of this section shall, within fifteen days of such receipt, provide notice to the person or entity specifying whether the carrier will provide the requested service. If the carrier provides notice that it will not serve the person or entity, the notice shall describe the person’s or entity’s right to file a complaint with the commission under section 4927.21 of the Revised Code within thirty days after receipt of the notice. In resolving any such complaint, the commission’s determination shall be limited to whether any circumstance described in divisions (B)(1)(a) to (c) of this section exists. Upon a finding by the commission that such a circumstance exists, the complaint shall be dismissed. Upon a finding that such circumstances do not exist, the person’s or entity’s sole remedy shall be provision by the carrier of the requested service within a reasonable time.
(C) An incumbent local exchange carrier may apply to the commission for a waiver from compliance with division (A) of this section. The application shall include, at a minimum, the reason for the requested waiver, the number of persons or entities who would be impacted by the waiver, and the alternatives that would be available to those persons or entities if the waiver were granted. The incumbent local exchange carrier applying for the waiver shall publish notice of the waiver application one time in a newspaper of general circulation throughout the service area identified in the application and shall provide additional notice to affected persons or entities as required by the commission in rules adopted under this division. The commission’s rules shall define “affected” for purposes of this division. The commission shall afford such persons or entities a reasonable opportunity to comment to the commission on the application. This opportunity shall include a public hearing conducted in accordance with rules adopted under this division and conducted in the service area identified in the application. After a reasonable opportunity to comment has been provided, but not later than one hundred twenty days after the application is filed, the commission either shall issue an order granting the waiver if, upon investigation, it finds the waiver to be just, reasonable, and not contrary to the public interest, and that the applicant demonstrates a financial hardship or an unusual technical limitation, or shall issue an order denying the waiver based on a failure to meet those standards and specifying the reasons for the denial. The commission shall adopt rules to implement division (C) of this section.