AB696: Bill Text

AB696,9,20 196.191 Telecommunications access charges. (1) Definitions. In this section:

AB696,9,22 (a) "Access charges" means dedicated access charges and switched access charges.

AB696,9,25 (b) "Access service" means the provision of switched or dedicated access to a local exchange network for the purpose of enabling a telecommunications provider to originate or terminate telecommunications service within the local exchange.

AB696,10,4 (c) "Dedicated access" means the provision of wholesale intrastate access service, other than switched access service, to a local exchange network for the purpose of enabling a telecommunications provider to originate or terminate telecommunications service within the local exchange.

AB696,10,7 (d) "Dedicated access charges" means the rates and rate elements that a local exchange carrier charges a telecommunications provider for the provision of dedicated access.

AB696,10,9 (e) "Incumbent local exchange carrier" has the meaning given in 47 USC 251 (h) (1).

AB696,10,12 (f) "Lost revenues" means the amount of the reduction of an incumbent local exchange carrier's revenues that results directly from the incumbent local exchange carrier's compliance with sub. (2) as calculated under sub. (3) (c).

AB696,10,15 (g) "Switched access" means the provision of switched access to a local exchange network for the purpose of enabling a telecommunications provider to originate or terminate telecommunications service within the local exchange.

AB696,10,18 (h) "Switched access charges" means the rates and rate elements that a local exchange carrier charges a telecommunications provider for the provision of switched access, including any carrier common line charges or substitute charges.

AB696,10,25 (2) Incumbent local exchange carriers. No incumbent local exchange carrier may increase its intrastate access charges so that the charges exceed the incumbent local exchange carrier's interstate access charges allowed under federal law. No later than 6 months after the effective date of this subsection .... [LRB inserts date], an incumbent local exchange carrier shall make any reductions in its intrastate access charges that are necessary to ensure that the charges do not exceed the incumbent local exchange carrier's interstate access charges allowed under federal law.

AB696,11,3 (3) Recovery of lost revenues. (a) Amounts recoverable from universal service fund. 1. An incumbent local exchange carrier shall recover lost revenues from the universal service fund in the following amounts:

AB696,11,5 a. During the first year following a reduction under sub. (2), the incumbent local exchange carrier shall recover 95 percent of its lost revenues in each month.

AB696,11,7 b. During the 2nd year following a reduction under sub. (2), the incumbent local exchange carrier shall recover 85 percent of its lost revenues in each month.

AB696,11,10 c. Except as provided in subd. 2., during the 3rd year following a reduction under sub. (2), and during each year thereafter, the incumbent local exchange carrier shall recover 75 percent of its lost revenues in each month.

AB696,11,17 2. a. In this subdivision, "broadband service" means a service that provides access to the Internet that is capable of transmitting data packets or Internet signals at upstream or downstream average minimum speeds of 200 kilobits per second, except that the commission may promulgate rules specifying greater upstream or downstream average minimum speeds if such speeds are consistent with any definition of broadband service established by the federal communications commission.

AB696,11,22 b. If an incumbent local exchange carrier fails to provide access to broadband service to at least 85 percent of its customers in any month during the 6th year following a reduction under sub. (2), or during any year thereafter, the incumbent local exchange carrier shall recover from the universal service fund 50 percent of its lost revenues in that month.

AB696,12,2 (b) Amounts not recoverable from universal service fund. Beginning 6 months after the effective date of this paragraph .... [LRB inserts date], an incumbent local exchange carrier may, by increasing its monthly rates for any service other than access service, recover lost revenues not recovered from the universal service fund under par. (a).

AB696,12,15 (c) Calculation; notification. No later than 60 days after the effective date of this paragraph .... [LRB inserts date], each incumbent local exchange carrier shall notify the commission in writing, with supporting documentation, of the amount of the reduction in annual intrastate access revenues that results from the reduction required under sub. (2). The reduction in switched access revenues shall be calculated for each incumbent local exchange carrier as the difference between intrastate and interstate switched access charges in effect on October 1, 2009, multiplied by the intrastate switched access minutes of use and other switched access demand quantities for the 2008 calendar year. The reduction in dedicated access revenues shall be calculated for each incumbent local exchange carrier as the difference between the dedicated access charges in effect on October 1, 2009, and the dedicated access charges after any reduction required under sub. (2), multiplied by demand quantities for the 2008 calendar year.

AB696,12,19 (d) Commission duties; disbursements. 1. No later than 60 days after an incumbent local exchange carrier makes the notification required under par. (c), the commission shall calculate the size of the monthly disbursement from the universal service fund for each incumbent local exchange carrier.

AB696,12,25 2. If an incumbent local exchange carrier is in compliance with this section, the commission shall begin monthly disbursements from the universal service fund to the incumbent local exchange carrier within 270 days after the effective date of this subdivision .... [LRB inserts date]. In any month, the commission may not make a disbursement to an incumbent local exchange carrier that exceeds an amount reasonably approximating the carrier's lost revenues for that month.

AB696,13,2 3. The commission shall establish procedures for administering disbursements from the universal service fund required under this paragraph.

AB696,13,5 (4) Other telecommunications providers. (a) In this subsection, "telecommunications provider" does not include an incumbent local exchange carrier.

AB696,13,12 (b) A telecommunications provider's intrastate access charges for a local exchange may not exceed the intrastate access charges of the incumbent local exchange carrier that provides telecommunications service in the local exchange, except that if a telecommunications provider is required to make reductions under par. (c), this paragraph first applies to such a telecommunications provider on the first day of the 60th month beginning after the effective date of this paragraph .... [LRB inserts date].

AB696,13,18 (c) On the effective date of this paragraph .... [LRB inserts date], if a telecommunications provider's intrastate access charges for a local exchange exceed the intrastate access charges in effect on October 1, 2009, of the incumbent local exchange carrier that provides telecommunications service in the local exchange, the telecommunications provider shall determine the difference between the charges and reduce its intrastate access charges according to the following schedule:

AB696,13,21 1. No later than 2 months after the effective date of this subdivision .... [LRB inserts date], the telecommunications provider shall reduce its charges by 20 percent of the difference.

AB696,13,24 2. No later than 24 months after the effective date of this subdivision .... [LRB inserts date], the telecommunications provider shall reduce its charges by 40 percent of the difference.

AB696,14,3 3. No later than 36 months after the effective date of this subdivision .... [LRB inserts date], the telecommunications provider shall reduce its charges by 60 percent of the difference.

AB696,14,6 4. No later than 48 months after the effective date of this subdivision .... [LRB inserts date], the telecommunications provider shall reduce its charges by 80 percent of the difference.

AB696,14,9 5. No later than 60 months after the effective date of this subdivision .... [LRB inserts date], the telecommunications provider shall reduce its charges by 100 percent of the difference.

AB696, s. 13 Section 13. 196.194 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB696,15,8 196.194 (1) Telecommunications utilities. Except as provided in this subsection, nothing Nothing in this chapter prohibits the commission from approving the filing of a tariff which permits a telecommunications utility to enter into an individual contract with an individual customer if substitute telecommunications services are available to customers or potential customers of the telecommunications utility and the absence of such a tariff will cause the telecommunications utility to be disadvantaged in competing for business. A tariff filed under this subsection shall include the condition that any such contract shall be compensatory as determined under s. 196.204 (5) and (6). The tariff shall include any other condition and procedure required by the commission in the public interest. Within 20 days after a contract authorized under this subsection or an amendment to such a contract has been executed, the telecommunications utility shall submit to the commission written notice of the general nature of the contract and the parties to the contract. Upon request, the commission shall inform a person, or direct that the person be informed, that notice has been received by the commission of execution of a contract under this subsection. Within 6 months after receiving substantial evidence that a contract may be noncompensatory, or upon its own motion, the commission shall investigate and determine whether the contract is compensatory. If the commission determines that the contract is noncompensatory, the commission may make appropriate adjustments in the rates or tariffs of the telecommunications utility that has entered into the contract, in addition to other remedies under this chapter. The dollar amount of the adjustment may not be less than the amount by which the contract was found to be noncompensatory.

AB696, s. 14 Section 14. 196.195 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB696,15,12 196.195 (1) Regulation imposed. Except as provided in this section and ss. 196.202, 196.203, 196.215 and, 196.219, and 196.50 (2) (i), a telecommunications utility is subject to every applicable provision of this chapter and ch. 201.

AB696, s. 15 Section 15. 196.195 (5) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB696,15,23 196.195 (5) Commission action. If after the proceedings under subs. (2), (3) and (4) the commission has determined that effective competition exists in the market for the telecommunications service which justifies a lesser degree of regulation and that lesser regulation in that market will serve the public interest, the commission may, by order, suspend tariffing requirements under s. 196.194 (1) or any of the following provisions of law ch. 201, except as provided under subs. (7) and (8): ch. 201 and s. 196.02 (2); s. 196.05; s. 196.06; s. 196.07; s. 196.09; s. 196.10; s. 196.12; s. 196.13 (2); s. 196.19; tariffing requirements under s. 196.194; s. 196.196 (1) or (5); s. 196.20; s. 196.21; s. 196.22; s. 196.26; s. 196.28; s. 196.37; s. 196.49; s. 196.52; s. 196.58; s. 196.60; s. 196.604; s. 196.77; s. 196.78; s. 196.79; and s. 196.805.

AB696, s. 16 Section 16. 196.195 (12) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB696,16,6 196.195 (12) (a) To provide incentives for telecommunications utilities to achieve any of the goals listed in par. (b) 1. a., the commission may suspend any of the provisions listed in sub. (5) except ss. 196.19, 196.20 (1m), 196.22, 196.26, 196.37, 196.60 and 196.604 of ch. 201 or may approve a regulatory method alternative to traditional rate-of-return regulation that does not require suspension of any provisions listed in sub. (5).

AB696, s. 17 Section 17. 196.195 (12) (b) 3. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB696,16,15 196.195 (12) (b) 3. The commission shall regulate telecommunications utilities with the goal of developing alternative forms of regulation. The commission shall, by order, develop and approve an incentive regulatory plan for each telecommunications utility to implement this subdivision. The commission may not increase regulation of a small telecommunications utility in implementing this subdivision. For telecommunications utilities with more than 150,000 access lines in use in this state, s. 196.196 (2) applies to access service rates in any regulatory plan approved under this subdivision.

AB696, s. 18 Section 18. 196.196 of the statutes is repealed.

AB696, s. 19 Section 19. 196.198 (2) (a) of the statutes is renumbered 196.198 (2) and amended to read:

AB696,16,24 196.198 (2) Except as provided in sub. (3), a telecommunications utility that has more than 150,000 access lines in use in this state or a telecommunications provider that has more than 150,000 access lines in use in this state may not charge a residential customer for basic local exchange service based on the duration of a call or on the time of day that a call is made. This paragraph subsection does not apply to an extended community telephone service.

AB696, s. 20 Section 20. 196.198 (2) (b) of the statutes is repealed.

AB696, s. 21 Section 21. 196.198 (3) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB696,17,5 196.198 (3) (intro.) The commission may suspend the application of sub. (2) (a) in a particular geographical area for a telecommunications utility or a telecommunications provider if, after a contested case hearing, the commission determines that all of the following apply:

AB696, s. 22 Section 22. 196.198 (3) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB696,17,8 196.198 (3) (a) Failure to suspend the application of sub. (2) (a) makes competition in that geographical area impractical.

AB696, s. 23 Section 23. 196.198 (3) (b) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB696,17,11 196.198 (3) (b) (intro.) Suspending the application of sub. (2) (a) is beneficial to all of the following groups:

AB696, s. 24 Section 24. 196.20 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB696,17,21 196.20 (1) The rate schedules of any public utility shall include all rules applicable to the rendition or discontinuance of the service to which the rates specified in the schedules are applicable. No change may be made by any public utility in its schedules except by filing the change as proposed with the commission. Except for a telecommunications utility, no No change in any public utility rule which purports to curtail the obligation or undertaking of service of the public utility shall be effective without the written approval of the commission after hearing, except that the commission, by emergency order, may make the rule, as filed, effective from the date of the order, pending final approval of the rule after hearing.

AB696, s. 25 Section 25. 196.20 (1m) of the statutes is repealed.

AB696, s. 26 Section 26. 196.20 (2) (a) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB696,18,2 196.20 (2) (a) (intro.) Except for a telecommunications utility, a A proposed change which constitutes a decrease in rates shall be effective at the time specified in the change as filed but not earlier than 10 days after the date of filing the change with the commission, unless any of the following occurs:

AB696, s. 27 Section 27. 196.20 (2) (am) of the statutes is repealed.

AB696, s. 28 Section 28. 196.20 (2m) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB696,18,11 196.20 (2m) Except as provided under sub. (5) and ss. 196.193, and 196.195 (12) and 196.196, no change in schedules which constitutes an increase in rates to consumers may be made except by order of the commission, after an investigation and opportunity for hearing. The commission may waive a hearing under this subsection for a proposed change in a telecommunications utility schedule. By rule or order, the commission shall specify the notice and procedural requirements applicable to a telecommunications utility proposal for which a hearing is waived.

AB696, s. 29 Section 29. 196.20 (2r) of the statutes is repealed.

AB696, s. 30 Section 30. 196.20 (3) of the statutes is repealed.

AB696, s. 31 Section 31. 196.20 (5) of the statutes is repealed.

AB696, s. 32 Section 32. 196.20 (6) of the statutes is repealed.

AB696, s. 33 Section 33. 196.203 (1) of the statutes, as affected by 2009 Wisconsin Act 28, is renumbered 196.203 (1g) and amended to read:

AB696,18,23 196.203 (1g) Alternative telecommunications utilities are exempt from all provisions of ch. 201 and this chapter, except as provided in this section, and except that an alternative telecommunications utility is subject to s. 196.025 (6), and except that an alternative telecommunications utility that is a local government telecommunications utility, as defined in s. 196.204 (5) (ag) 1., is subject to s. 196.204 (5).

AB696, s. 34 Section 34. 196.203 (1d) of the statutes is created to read:

AB696,19,2 196.203 (1d) In this section, "local government telecommunications utility" has the meaning given in s. 196.204 (1m) (a).

AB696, s. 35 Section 35. 196.203 (2) of the statutes is renumbered 196.203 (2) (a) and amended to read:

AB696,19,9 196.203 (2) (a) No person may commence providing service as an alternative telecommunications utility unless the person petitions for and the commission issues a determination certification that the person is an alternative telecommunications utility or unless the person is a telecommunications utility for which the commission issues an order under s. 196.50 (2) (j) 1.

AB696,19,13 (6) The commission shall maintain information on authorized certified alternative telecommunications utilities and on applicants for alternative telecommunications utility status certification and make that information available to any person, upon request.

AB696, s. 36 Section 36. 196.203 (2) (b) of the statutes is created to read:

AB696,19,22 196.203 (2) (b) Except for an alternative telecommunications utility that is a local government telecommunications utility, certification as an alternative telecommunications utility shall be on a statewide basis and any certification issued by the commission before the effective date of this paragraph .... [LRB inserts date], to an alternative telecommunications utility that is not a local government telecommunications utility is considered amended to be a statewide certification. This paragraph does not alter any conditions of a certification issued before the effective date of this paragraph .... [LRB inserts date], except for geographic scope.

AB696, s. 37 Section 37. 196.203 (2) (c) of the statutes is created to read:

AB696,20,3 196.203 (2) (c) The commission may deny a petition for certification as an alternative telecommunications utility described in s. 196.01 (1d) (f) if the commission finds that the petitioner does not have the financial, managerial, or technical capabilities to provide its proposed services or to comply with conditions that the commission is authorized to impose under sub. (3).

AB696, s. 38 Section 38. 196.203 (3) (a) of the statutes is renumbered 196.203 (3) and amended to read:

AB696,20,17 196.203 (3) In response to a petition from any interested person, or upon its own motion, the commission shall determine whether the public interest requires that any provision of ch. 201 or a provision of this chapter specified in sub. (4m) be imposed on a person providing or proposing to provide service as an alternative telecommunications utility in a relevant market. In making this determination, the commission may consider factors including the quality of service, customer complaints, concerns about the effect on customers of local exchange telecommunications utilities and the extent to which similar services are available from alternative sources. If the commission imposes a provision on an alternative telecommunications utility under this subsection, the commission shall impose the same provision at the same level of regulation on all telecommunications utilities certified under s. 196.50 (2) and all other alternative telecommunications utilities.

AB696, s. 39 Section 39. 196.203 (3) (b) of the statutes is repealed.

AB696, s. 40 Section 40. 196.203 (3) (c) of the statutes is repealed.

AB696, s. 41 Section 41. 196.203 (3) (d) of the statutes is repealed.

AB696, s. 42 Section 42. 196.203 (3) (dm) of the statutes is repealed.

AB696, s. 43 Section 43. 196.203 (3) (e) of the statutes is repealed.

AB696, s. 44 Section 44. 196.203 (4) of the statutes is repealed.

AB696, s. 45 Section 45. 196.203 (4m) of the statutes is created to read:

AB696,21,5 196.203 (4m) The commission may impose s. 196.01, 196.02 (1), (4), or (5), 196.04, 196.135, 196.14, 196.197, 196.199, 196.207, 196.208, 196.209, 196.218, 196.219 (1), (2) (b), (c), or (d), (3) (a), (c), (d), (e), (h), (j), (m), (n), or (o), or (3m), 196.25, 196.26, 196.39, 196.395, 196.40, 196.41, 196.43, 196.44, 196.65, 196.66, 196.81, 196.85, or 196.858 on an alternative telecommunications utility.

AB696, s. 46 Section 46. 196.203 (5) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB696,21,9 196.203 (5) The commission may establish a reasonable fee schedule and may assess an alternative telecommunications utility to cover the cost of making a certification or other determination under this section.

AB696, s. 47 Section 47. 196.204 (title) of the statutes is repealed and recreated to read:

AB696,21,11 196.204 (title) Local government telecommunications utilities.

AB696, s. 48 Section 48. 196.204 (1) of the statutes is repealed.

AB696, s. 49 Section 49. 196.204 (2) of the statutes is repealed.

AB696, s. 50 Section 50. 196.204 (3) of the statutes is repealed.