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 § 1.45 of this chapter, practice and procedure rules contained in §§ 1.42-1.52 of this chapter shall apply. The provisions of §§ 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 § 1.42-1.52 of this chapter apply. The provisions of §§ 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.