Section 6-81-52 - High cost area(a) The commission may designate a given geographical or exchange area within the State as a high cost area. A high cost area is one in which the cost of providing basic exchange service is high in comparison to the cost of providing basic exchange service in other areas of the State.(b) A determination that a given area is a high cost area may be made upon the written petition of any interested person filed with the commission or upon the commission's own motion. The necessary disparity between the cost of providing basic exchange service in a given area and the cost of providing basic exchange service in the rest of the State to qualify the given area as a high cost area shall be determined by the commission on a case-by-case basis. In determining whether an area should be deemed a high cost area, the commission shall consider the following factors: (1) The cost of providing basic exchange service per access line in the area by the current provider of the service;(2) The statewide weighted average cost of providing basic service per access line;(3) The presence or absence of effective competition in the area for the provision of basic service;(4) The area's remoteness and rural quality;(5) The area's topography and geographic size;(6) The number of residences or households and businesses in the area;(7) The number of residences or households in the area that do not subscribe to exchange service;(8) Benefits to the public interest; and(9) Any other factors deemed relevant by the commission. An area is not a high cost area unless the cost of providing basic service per access line in the area is more than one hundred twenty per cent of the statewide weighted average cost of providing basic service per access line.
(c) In delineating the boundaries of a proposed high cost area, the commission shall consider: (1) The current exchange boundaries;(2) Maintenance of the integrity of areas served by common switching equipment and associated engineering functions;(3) The inclusion of adjacent areas, comprised of low cost or profitable customers, that may be appropriately served by the same switching equipment; and(4) Any other factors deemed relevant by the commission.[Eff ] (Auth: HRS §§ 269-6, 269-35, 269-38, 269-41 to 43) (Imp: HRS §§ 269-35, 269-38, 269-41 to 43, 47 U.S.C. §254 )