(a) Purpose. This section establishes the following:
  (1) rates for categories of access lines;
  (2) default allocation for municipalities;
  (3) adjustments to the base amount and allocation;
  (4) municipal compensation; and
  (5) associated reporting requirements.
(b) Application. The provisions of this section apply to certificated telecommunication providers (CTPs) and municipalities in the State of Texas, unless specified otherwise in this section.
(c) Rate determination. The sum of the amounts derived from multiplying the rate for each category of access line by the total number of access lines in that category in a municipality shall be equal to the base amount. The rate for each of the access line categories established pursuant to §26.461 of this title (relating to Access Line Categories) shall be calculated using a 1998 access line count in general accordance with the following formula:
Attached Graphic
(d) Estimating a 1998 access line count. If a CTP does not provide an actual 1998 access line count, the commission shall use the CTP's 1999 access line count, reported pursuant to §26.465 of this title (relating to Methodology for Counting Access Lines and Reporting Requirements for Certificated Telecommunications Providers), to derive an estimated 1998 access line count.
  (1) Estimating access line count for category 1 (residential) access lines. The estimated statewide growth rate for category 1 access lines in 1999 is 4.5%. This percentage is determined using the statewide growth rate for residential access lines as reported to the Texas Legislature in the 1997 and 1999 reports entitled "Scope of Competition in Telecommunications Markets." The commission shall estimate a municipality's 1998 access line count for category 1 by discounting 4.5% from the 1999 line count for category 1 lines reported by a CTP.
  (2) Estimating access line count for category 2 (non-residential) and category 3 (point-to-point) access lines. The estimated statewide growth rate for category 2 and category 3 access lines in 1999 is 7.0%. This percentage is determined using the statewide growth rate for business access lines as reported to the Texas Legislature in the 1997 and 1999 reports entitled "Scope of Competition in Telecommunications Markets." The commission shall estimate a municipality's 1998 access line count for category 2 and category 3 by discounting 7.0% from the 1999 line count for category 2 and category 3 lines reported by a CTP.
  (3) Municipal request for exception.
    (A) No later than March 15, 2000, a municipality may request the use of a municipality-specific growth rate(s), by category, for estimating its 1998 access line count, instead of using the estimated statewide growth rates determined under paragraphs (1) and (2) of this subsection. The municipality's request shall include its proposed growth rates(s), along with proof and methodology for deriving the growth rate(s), from public and verifiable sources.
    (B) No later than March 15, 2000, a municipality that requests to use a municipality-specific growth rate(s) shall provide a copy of its filing to all CTPs that have filed access line counts for the municipality.
    (C) No later than March 31, 2000, any CTP that has filed access line counts for that municipality may file objections to the municipality's proposed growth rate(s), if any. In order to be considered, an objection must include actual 1998 line count data for that municipality.
    (D) Until resolution of the request approval process, the estimated statewide growth rate(s) determined under paragraphs (1) and (2) of this subsection shall be used to determine the municipality's 1998 access line count. Upon resolution of any objections to the request approval process, the commission shall develop a new access line count for 1998 incorporating the new growth rate(s), by category, as appropriate.
(e) Default allocation. The commission's default allocation shall be a ratio of 1:2.3:3.5 for access line categories 1, 2, and 3 respectively. This default allocation represents an average of all allocation ratios filed by municipalities with the commission pursuant to §26.463 of this title (relating to Calculation and Reporting of a Municipality's Base Amount).
  (1) The commission shall establish access line rates for municipalities using the default allocation unless a municipality has filed its own allocation pursuant to §26.463 of this title.
  (2) The access line rates established by the commission for municipalities using the default allocation shall remain in effect until a municipality updates its initial allocation pursuant to subsection (g) of this section or revises its allocation pursuant to subsection (h) of this section.
(f) Initial rates. No later than March 1, 2000, the commission shall establish rates for each category of access line in a municipality. These rates shall be considered to be initial rates. The initial rates shall be implemented no later than 90 days from the date the commission establishes the rates. These initial rates shall remain in effect until the rates are updated pursuant to subsection (g) of this section or revised pursuant to subsection (h) of this section.
(g) Updated rates. No later than April 14, 2000, the commission shall establish updated rates for each category of access line in a requesting municipality. The initial rates established under subsection (f) of this section shall be updated to incorporate municipal filings pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection and/or CTP filings pursuant to paragraph (2) of this subsection, as appropriate. Subject to approval by the commission, the updated municipal and CTP information shall be used to establish updated access line rates. The updated rates shall be in effect until revised pursuant to subsection (h) of this subsection.
  (1) Updates to municipal base amount filings. No later than March 31, 2000, a municipality may update its base amount and allocation filed with the commission pursuant to §26.463 of this title. No later than March 31, 2000, a municipality that filed a request to update its base amount and/or allocation shall forward a copy of its filing to all CTPs who have filed access line counts for the municipality.
    (A) Updates to base amount. A municipal filing for updates to base amount shall use a methodology for calculating the base amount that is consistent with §26.463 of this title, and shall include appropriate justification for the update. Appropriate justification may include:
      (i) receipt of late payments from CTPs attributable to 1998 usage of rights-of-way;
      (ii) reduction to judgment of disputed payments attributable to 1998 usage of rights-of-way;
      (iii) settlement of disputed payments attributable to 1998 usage of rights-of-way;
      (iv) eligibility under effective agreements or ordinances to receive a known and measurable amount due to specifically prescribed fee rate escalations provisions for the period between January 1, 2000 and March 1, 2000; and
      (v) an inadvertent base amount computational error.
    (B) Updates to allocation. A municipality that has filed with the commission its own allocation pursuant to §26.463 of this title may file an updated allocation no later than March 31, 2000.
  (2) Updates to CTP access line counts. No later than March 15, 2000, a CTP may request to update its access line count filed with the commission pursuant to §26.465 of this title. A CTP's request for updates to access line count shall use a methodology for counting access lines that is consistent with §26.465 of this title, and shall include appropriate justification for the update. Appropriate justification may include, but is not limited to:
    (A) an inadvertent access line count computational error;
    (B) reconciliation of reported retail and resold access line lines; and
    (C) access line counting issues associated with merger, sale, or transfer of CTPs.
  (3) Choosing lower than maximum rate(s). The rates obtained by applying the allocation to the base amount and dividing the amounts allocated to each category by the appropriate number of access lines in that category in a municipality shall be considered to be maximum rates for a municipality. No later than March 31, 2000, a municipality that wishes to choose lower access line rate(s) than the maximum initial rates established under subsection (f) of this section, shall notify the commission and all CTPs that filed access line counts for that municipality of the lower access line rate(s) it chooses. If a municipality's request to choose lower initial rate(s) is higher than its updated rates, the updated rates shall remain in effect until revised pursuant to subsection (h) of this section.
Cont'd...