FCC 20.13 Revised as of October 1, 2006
Goto Year:2005 |
2007
Sec. 20.13 State petitions for authority to regulate rates.
(a) States may petition for authority to regulate the intrastate rates of
any commercial mobile radio service. The petition must include the
following:
(1) Demonstrative evidence that market conditions in the state for
commercial mobile radio services do not adequately protect subscribers to
such services from unjust and unreasonable rates or rates that are unjustly
or unreasonably discriminatory. Alternatively, a state's petition may
include demonstrative evidence showing that market conditions for commercial
mobile radio services do not protect subscribers adequately from unjust and
unreasonable rates, or rates that are unjustly or unreasonably
discriminatory, and that a substantial portion of the commercial mobile
radio service subscribers in the state or a specified geographic area have
no alternative means of obtaining basic telephone service. This showing may
include evidence of the range of basic telephone service alternatives
available to consumers in the state.
(2) The following is a non-exhaustive list of examples of the types of
evidence, information, and analysis that may be considered pertinent to
determine market conditions and consumer protection by the Commission in
reviewing any petition filed by a state under this section:
(i) The number of commercial mobile radio service providers in the state,
the types of services offered by commercial mobile radio service providers
in the state, and the period of time that these providers have offered
service in the state;
(ii) The number of customers of each commercial mobile radio service
provider in the state; trends in each provider's customer base during the
most recent annual period or other data covering another reasonable period
if annual data is unavailable; and annual revenues and rates of return for
each commercial mobile radio service provider;
(iii) Rate information for each commercial mobile radio service provider,
including trends in each provider's rates during the most recent annual
period or other data covering another reasonable period if annual data is
unavailable;
(iv) An assessment of the extent to which services offered by the commercial
mobile radio service providers the state proposes to regulate are
substitutable for services offered by other carriers in the state;
(v) Opportunities for new providers to enter into the provision of competing
services, and an analysis of any barriers to such entry;
(vi) Specific allegations of fact (supported by affidavit of person with
personal knowledge) regarding anti-competitive or discriminatory practices
or behavior by commercial mobile radio service providers in the state;
(vii) Evidence, information, and analysis demonstrating with particularity
instances of systematic unjust and unreasonable rates, or rates that are
unjust or unreasonably discriminatory, imposed upon commercial mobile radio
service subscribers. Such evidence should include an examination of the
relationship between rates and costs. Additionally, evidence of a pattern of
such rates, that demonstrates the inability of the commercial mobile radio
service marketplace in the state to produce reasonable rates through
competitive forces will be considered especially probative; and
(viii) Information regarding customer satisfaction or dissatisfaction with
services offered by commercial mobile radio service providers, including
statistics and other information about complaints filed with the state
regulatory commission.
(3) Petitions must include a certification that the state agency filing the
petition is the duly authorized state agency responsible for the regulation
of telecommunication services provided in the state.
(4) Petitions must identify and describe in detail the rules the state
proposes to establish if the petition is granted.
(5) States have the burden of proof. Interested parties may file comments in
support or in opposition to the petition within 30 days after public notice
of the filing of a petition by a state under this section. Any interested
party may file a reply within 15 days after the expiration of the filing
period for comments. No additional pleadings may be filed. Except for Sec. 1.45
of this chapter, practice and procedure rules contained in Sec. Sec. 1.42–1.52 of
this chapter shall apply. The provisions of Sec. Sec. 1.771–1.773 of this chapter do
not apply.
(6) The Commission shall act upon any petition filed by a state under this
paragraph not later than the end of the nine-month period after the filing
of the petition.
(7) If the Commission grants the petition, it shall authorize the state to
regulate rates for commercial mobile radio services in the state during a
reasonable period of time, as specified by the Commission. The period of
time specified by the Commission will be that necessary to ensure that rates
are just and reasonable, or not unjustly or unreasonably discriminatory.
(b) States that regulated rates for commercial mobile services as of June 1,
1993, may petition the Commission under this section before August 10, 1994,
to extend this authority.
(1) The petition will be acted upon by the Commission in accordance with the
provisions of paragraphs (a)(1) through (a)(5) of this section.
(2) The Commission shall act upon the petition (including any
reconsideration) not later than the end of the 12-month period following the
date of the filing of the petition by the state involved. Commercial mobile
radio service providers offering such service in the state shall comply with
the existing regulations of the state until the petition and any
reconsideration of the petition are acted upon by the Commission.
(3) The provisions of paragraph (a)(7) of this section apply to any petition
granted by the Commission under this paragraph.
(c) No sooner than 18 months from grant of authority by the Commission under
this section for state rate regulations, any interested party may petition
the Commission for an order to discontinue state authority for rate
regulation.
(1) Petitions to discontinue state authority for rate regulation must be
based on recent empirical data or other significant evidence demonstrating
that the exercise of rate authority by a state is no longer necessary to
ensure that the rates for commercial mobile are just and reasonable or not
unjustly or unreasonably discriminatory.
(2) Any interested party may file comments in support of or in opposition to
the petition within 30 days after public notice of the filing of the
petition. Any interested party may file a reply within 15 days after the
time for filing comments has expired. No additional pleadings may be filed.
Except for 1.45 of this chapter, practice and procedure rules contained in
Sec. 1.42–1.52 of this chapter apply. The provisions of Sec. Sec. 1.771–1.773 of this
chapter do not apply.
(3) The Commission shall act upon any petition filed by any interested party
under this paragraph within nine months after the filing of the petition.
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