Telecommunications
In order to understand the certification process and comply with its requirements, there are several important documents that applicant should obtain and review before you file.
I. Please download ALL of the following documents
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| A. Public Utilities Code |
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| B. Rule of Practice and Procedure |
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| C. General Order 96-B |
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The Public Utilities Code is the law, which applicant must adhere to when conducting business as a utility in California. Applicant should familiarize itself with all the sections of the Code that apply to telecommunications companies. The Rules of Practice and Procedure provide guidelines for submitting (ie: filing) the application documents. General Order No. 96-B is particularly useful as reference material for draft tariffs, which must be submitted with the application.
The documents above can be found on the CPUC web site(http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/).
II. In addition you will need copies of several Formal Documents
A. D. 95-07-054 Adopts initial rules for CLCs in Appendices A and B.
The decision and appendices contain Consumer Protection Rules and other information necessary to complete the application and tariffs.
D. 95-12-056 A "must read" for all facilities-based applicants. The decision establishes rules for interconnection with LECs.
D. 95-12-057 Decision certificating the initial group of 31 facilities-based CLCs. This decision also includes additional information helpful in preparing an application for CLC authority.
D. 96-02-072 Decision certificating 59 reseller CLCs. The decision also addresses additional rules and contains a complete set of interim rules (compiled from D. 95-07-054 and D.95-12-057). Decision requires CLC to use Pacific Bell or GTEC limitation of liability tariffs in its tariff.
D. 96-03-020 Sets wholesale rates and establishes which services are available for resale. Deals with LEC pricing flexibility and rating areas.
D. 96-04-049 Adopts customer notification and education rules for Calling Party Number (CPN) passage by CLCs.
D. 96-04-052 Adopts rates for Interim Number Portability for facilities-based CLCs.
D. 97-08-059 Addresses the additional retail services to be offered for resale to CLCs, restrictions on the resale of services and the extent of wholesale discounts to services subject to resale.
D. 97-09-115 Extends the coverage of the Commission's adopted rules for local exchange competition to include the service territories of Roseville Telephone Company and Citizens Telephone Company.
D. 99-02-038 Relieves competitive local carriers (CLCs) from the requirement to keep their books of account in conformance with the Uniform System of Accounts (USOA).
D. 99-12-050 Filings docketed after January 1,2000, facilities-based CLCs seeking CPCN authority shall make their filing in the form of a separate application and shall no longer be docketed as a petition in Investigation 95-04-044.
Applicant should read and understand these decisions before it submits its application. The above decisions can be downloaded from the CPUC web site (see above) or ordered from our Central Files Office by calling (415) 703-2045.
B. Applicant's application will include a request for certification in one of several different areas. Please order a sample application for the type of service authority the applicant is interested in providing.
1. For CLC facilities-based local exchange service authority order A. 00-03-045.
2. For CLC reseller service authority order A. 97-06-049.
3. For CLC facilities-based and reseller service authority, A. 01-02-003.
4. For CLC and intra-LATA and inter-LATA toll authority order A.01-01-017.
Copies of decisions and applications can be ordered from our Central Files Office by calling (415) 703-2045. You will be billed separately for any orders placed through Central Files.
III. Prepare your application
Please prepare your application CAREFULLY, using the format of the application you ordered in II.B., and the information contained in the documents you ordered in I.B. through I.D., as well as the modifications contained in the decisions you ordered in II.A.
Your application must include a sample (draft) tariff that describes all the services and sample rates you intend to offer. In order to draft a tariff that complies with the CPUC's requirement, the following documents are important to obtain and review before drafting.
A. Appendix B to D. 95-07-054
B. General Order 96-B
C. Sample tariff (see sample tariffs submitted by competitors).
D. Limitation of Liabilities - Appendices B & C of D 95-12-057
Applicant may order a sample competitor tariff for facilities-based and reseller service by calling the Communications Division at (415) 703-3052. Appendix B to D. 95-07-054 and Appendices B & C of D 95-12-057 can be obtained by calling Central Files Office at (415) 703-2045.
Then, review the document you obtained in I.B. to follow the proper filing procedures.
IV. Application fees
A fee of $75 (check, draft, or money order payable to the CPUC) must be enclosed with all applications requesting facilities-based or reseller authority. Applicant can also request in its CLC application authority for intra-LATA and inter-LATA toll authority with the CLC application at no extra cost. The applicant can also file a separate application to obtain intra-LATA and inter-LATA toll authority using the NDIEC (Non-Dominant Inter-Exchange Carrier) registration process which normally will be shorter (40 days vs. approx. 3 months). The applicant would have to pay an additional $75 to use the registration process for NDIEC authority.
In addition to the above noted application fee, all applicants requesting facilities-based CLC authority are required to submit an additional $200 deposit for California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) processing (not applicable to applicants requesting only reseller authority). This deposit includes applicants applying only for limited facilities-based CLC authority (a limited facilities-based CLC is one that uses facilities that are installed solely within existing structures). The $200 CEQA deposit (check, draft, or money order payable to the CPUC) must include the statement "CEQA Fee per D.00-08-010".
If the applicant seeks only limited facilities-based authority, only the $200 shall be required. If the applicant seeks more extensive facilities based authority that requires the preparation of either an MND (mitigated negative declaration) or an EIR (environmental impact report), however, then the applicant shall remain liable for reimbursing the Commission for additional CEQA costs that may be incurred in processing its application. The Commission will bill the applicant for any additional CEQA costs that are applicable once they become known. Please call John Boccio, CEQA Telecommunications Projects Manger, at (415-703-2641) for more detailed information on applicant's CEQA responsibility and related fees before submitting application.
V. Submit (file) your application at the Docket Office
A. An original and 7 copies of your application (or petition) must be filed with the Commission's Docket Office. You may mail or hand-deliver your application.
B. The address is:
California Public Utilities Commission
Docket Office
505 Van Ness Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94102
C. In addition, 1 copy must be sent to the following:
Jack Leutza, Director
Communications Division
505 Van Ness
San Francisco, CA 94102
and for facilities-based applicants, one copy must be sent to:
John Boccio
CEQA Telecommunications Projects Manager
Energy Division
505 Van Ness Ave
San Francisco, CA 94102
VI. Please do not solicit customers, collect deposits, or begin operations within California during the application process.
VII. What happens next
A. Your application will be processed by the Docket Office.
1. The Docket Office will contact you if parts of your application are missing or improperly filed.
2. Your case will be assigned an application number.
B. Your application will be forwarded to the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) Division.
1. An ALJ will be assigned to review your application.
2. The ALJ will contact you if parts of your application are missing or improperly filed.
3. You may contact the ALJ Division at (415) 703-2008 to ask for the name and telephone number of the ALJ who has been assigned to review your application.
4. You may contact the assigned ALJ to ask questions about your application and the review process.
C. The Communications Division, Carrier Branch will review your draft tariff and prepare a tariff deficiency list that will be included in the ALJ decision as Attachment B.
D. The ALJ will write a decision.
E. The Commission will approve the decision during a Commission Conference.
1. Commission Conferences are scheduled twice a month.
2. Decisions for each Commission meeting will appear on the Commission Agenda which can be found on the Commission's web page (www.cpuc.ca.gov)
F. Your company will receive a copy of the decision in the mail after it has been approved. Applicant must then file an advice letter to submit your initial tariff for processing and approval before it can begin providing service.
1. A description of the advice letter format can be found on pages 22 of General Order No. 96-B (section 8.4).
2. The initial tariff is applicant's draft tariff with your actual rates and all the changes that the Communications Division requested.
3. Applicant's initial tariff must have the decision number of the decision it received in the mail, and the advice letter number used in filing its initial tariff, presented on each page of the tariff in the lower left-hand corner of the page.
4. Applicant's corporate identification number (U-XXXX-C) must be shown on the upper left corner of each tariff sheet.
5. Please file a CD-ROM version of your initial tariff by advice letter to (See Communications Division webpage):
California Public Utilities Commission
Pal Coordinator
Communications Division
505 Van Ness Avenue, Room 3203
San Francisco, CA 94102
6. The advice letter that includes applicant's initial tariff will be effective one day after Communications Division staff approval.
7. The Communications Branch will send an acceptance certificate to the filer after it has reviewed and made the advice letter effective.
8. When applicant receives the acceptance certificate, it will know that its tariffs have been approved. Applicant may then begin to conduct business within California if it has fulfilled all other ordered requirements in the decision that granted applicant authority.
The certification process (from filing of the application to the Commissioner's approval of the decision) takes about three months.
The following Formal Documents may be downloaded.
- D.95-07-054 Download (complete version)
- D.95-12-056 Download
- D.95-12-057 Download
- D.96-02-072 Download
- D.96-03-020 Download
- D.96-04-049 Download
- D.96-04-052 Download
- D.96-12-020 Download
- D.97-08-059 Download