Wash. Admin. Code § 480-120-071

Current through Register Vol. 25-01, January 1, 2025

Section 480-120-071 - Extension of service

(1) This rule applies to local exchange companies receiving federal high-cost universal service support.

(2)Definitions. The following definitions apply to this section unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

"Applicant" means any person applying to a telecommunications company for new residential basic local exchange service. Applicant does not include developers requesting service for developments.

"Cost of service extension" means the direct and indirect costs of the material and labor to plan and construct the facilities including, but not limited to, permitting fees, rights of way fees, and payments to subcontractors, and does not include the cost of reinforcement, network upgrade, or similar costs.

"Developer" means any owner of a development who offers it for disposition, or an agent of such an owner.

"Development" means land which is divided or is proposed to be divided for the purpose of disposition into four or more lots, parcels, or units.

"Distribution plant" means telephone equipment and facilities necessary to provide new residential basic local exchange service to a premises, but does not include drop wire.

"Drop wire" means company-supplied wire and pedestals to be placed between a premises and the company distribution plant at the applicant's property line. For drop wire installed after January 15, 2001, a drop wire must be sufficient in capacity to allow the provisioning of three individual basic exchange voice-grade access lines.

"Extension of service" means an extension of company distribution plant for new residential basic local exchange service to a location where no distribution plant of the extending company exists at the time an extension of service is requested. An extension is constructed at the request of one or more applicants for service. Extensions of service do not include trenches, conduits, or other support structure for placement of company-provided facilities from the applicant's property line to the premises to be served. Extension of service, as defined in this rule, does not apply to extensions of service to developments or to extensions of service for temporary occupancy or temporary service.

"Extraordinary cost" means a substantial expense resulting from circumstances or conditions beyond the control of the company that are exceptional and unlikely to occur in the normal course of planning and constructing facilities contemplated by this rule.

"Order date" as defined in WAC 480-120-021 (Definitions) means the date when an applicant requests service unless a company identifies specific actions a customer must first complete in order to be in compliance with commission rules. Except as provided in WAC 480-120-061 (Refusing service) and 480-120-104 (Information to consumers), when specific actions are required to be completed by the applicant, the order date becomes the date the company receives the completed application for extension of service.

"Premises" means any structure that is used as a residence, but does not include predominantly commercial or industrial structures.

"Temporary occupancy" means occupancy definitely known to be for less than one year but does not include intermittent or seasonal use when the intermittent or seasonal use will occur in more than a one-year period.

"Temporary service" means service definitely known to be for a short period of time, such as service provided for construction huts, sales campaigns, athletic contests, conventions, fairs, circuses, and similar events.

(3)Residential basic local exchange service.

(a) Each wire line ETC must, within seven business days of an applicant's initial request, provide the applicant with an application for extension of service. The company must also provide the applicant a brief explanation of the extension of service rules.

(b) The company must process applications that require an extension of service in a timely manner.

(4)Allowances.

(a) A company must allow for an extension of service within its service territory up to one thousand feet at no charge to the applicant. The company may allow for an extension of service for distances over the allowance .

(b) The applicant is responsible for the cost of that portion of the extension of service, if any, that exceeds the allowance. The company must permit multiple applicants to aggregate their allowances when an extension of service to two or more applicants would follow a single construction path.

(5)Determining costs and billing for extensions of service longer than allowances.

(a) The company must estimate the cost of the service extension that is attributable to distribution plant that must be extended beyond the applicable allowance established under subsection (4)(b) of this section.

(b) At the completion of the construction of the extension of service, the company must determine the difference between the estimated cost and the actual cost of construction. The company must provide to the applicant detailed construction costs showing the difference. The company must refund any overpayment and may charge the applicant for reasonable additional costs up to ten percent of the estimate.

(6)Requirements for supporting structures and trenches.

(a) A company may condition construction on completion of support structures, trenches, or both on the applicant's property.

(i) Applicants are responsible for installation of all supporting structures required for placement of company-provided drop wire from the applicant's property line to the applicant's premises. The company may offer to construct supporting structures and dig trenches and may charge for those services, but the company must not require that applicants use only company services to construct supporting structures and dig trenches. The offer must clearly state that the applicant may choose to employ a different company for construction services.

(ii) The company may require that all supporting structures required for placement of company-provided drop wire from the applicant's property line to the premises are placed in accordance with reasonable company construction specifications. The company must require that, once in place and in use, all supporting structures and drop wire will be maintained by the company as long as the company provides service, and any support structure and trenches constructed at company expense are owned by the company.

(b) Once supporting structures, trenches, or both, have been constructed, the company must provide drop wire to applicants at no charge.

(7)Temporary service. A company may not provide allowances (e.g., one thousand feet without charge) or discounts on the cost of construction for extension of temporary service.

Wash. Admin. Code § 480-120-071

Amended by WSR 15-08-043, Filed 3/26/2015, effective 4/26/2015

Statutory Authority: RCW 80.01.040 and 80.04.160. 08-19-001 and 08-20-113 (Docket UT-073014, General Order R-551), § 480-120-071, filed 9/3/08 and 9/30/08, effective 10/4/08 and 10/31/08. Statutory Authority: RCW 80.01.040, 80.04.160, 80.36.080, 80.36.300. 00-24-097 (Order R-474, Docket No. UT-991737), § 480-120-071, filed 12/5/00, effective 1/15/01; Order R-25, § 480-120-071, filed 5/5/71. Formerly WAC 480-120-170.