Section 407-204-2 - DefinitionsA.Basic-Service Calling Area. "Basic-Service Calling Area" (BSCA) is the local (non-interexchange) calling area of the "home exchange" of a customer of a "local exchange carrier," as defined in this section. The BSCA includes all exchanges that were in the BSCA prior to the amendments effective in December 2002 plus all exchanges that are contiguous to the home exchange that were not included prior to the December 2002 amendments. Within a BSCA, there may be Economy and Premium calling options with flat-rate and per-minute pricing as specified in the definitions of those options and in Section 5. For all options, the BSCA includes all of the exchanges that are included in the calling option with the largest flat-rate calling area.B.Commission. "Commission" means the Maine Public Utilities Commission.C.Contiguous Exchange. An exchange is "contiguous" to another exchange if any portions of the exchange boundaries of the two exchanges touch each other. If the boundaries touch each other only in a body of water, the two exchanges shall not be considered contiguous for the purpose of this Chapter unless a bridge or causeway capable of carrying motor vehicle traffic crosses the body of water and connects land portions of the two exchanges.D.Customer. For the purpose of this chapter, a "Customer" is a person who has an account for basic local exchange telephone service in Maine from a local exchange carrier.E.December 2002 Amendments. "December 2002 amendments" refers to the amendments to Chapter 204 effective in December 2002, pursuant to the rulemaking proceeding in Docket Number 2001-865.F.Economy Calling Option. The "Economy Calling Option" is a basic-service calling area option that has a flat monthly rate for unlimited calling within the home exchange and, unless otherwise ordered by the Commission, all exchanges that were included in the home exchange's Economy calling area immediately before the December 2002 amendments, and a per-minute charge for calls to other exchanges within the BSCA. If an exchange is served by more than one central office or wire center and its Premium calling area includes more than 50,000 access lines, the Economy calling area is the home exchange.G.Eligible Telecommunications Carrier (ETC). An "Eligible telecommunications carrier" is a local exchange carrier designated by the Commission pursuant to 47 U.S.C. §214(e) as an eligible telecommunications carrier for the purpose of receiving universal service funding pursuant to 47 U.S.C. §254. H.Exchange. "Exchange" is a specific geographic area with boundaries established by a Telephone Utility's service area maps on file with the Commission as part of the Utility's Terms and Conditions. An exchange may include one or more wire centers or central offices.I.Home Exchange. The "Home exchange" is the exchange in which the customer's telephone line is located and from which the customer receives local exchange service. For the purpose of this Chapter, if a customer subscribes to foreign exchange service, the "foreign" exchange shall be considered a "home" exchange for that customer. All customers of a "home" exchange may choose one of the basic-service calling area options available in that exchangeif more than one is available..J.Local Exchange Carrier (LEC). For the purpose of this Chapter, "Local exchange carrier" or "LEC" means a telephone utility, as defined by 35-A M.S.R.A. §102(19), that provides local exchange service and is designated by the Commission as an "eligible telecommunications carrier." A local exchange carrier provides loop and local switching services, to customers in an exchange, either directly or through resale.K.Municipal Calling. "Municipal Calling" is provided to all customers of a local exchange carrier as part of basic local exchange service and allows a customer to call all other customers located in the municipal civil division in which the calling customer receives telephone service without incurring additional charges, regardless of the exchange that serves the telephone lines of the other customers.L.Premium Option. The "Premium Option" is a Basic Service Calling Area option that has a flat monthly rate for unlimited calling from the Home Exchange to the all of the exchanges within the BSCA. Exchanges in which the Premium and the Economy options are identical are classified as having only a Premium calling area.M.Rate Group. A "rate group" is a rate classification for local exchange service contained in the terms and conditions of a local exchange carrier. A rate group typically classifies rates for the home exchange according to the number of lines that may be called within the BSCA of the home exchange.N.Residential Customer. A "residential customer" is a customer who has telephone service at a dwelling and the service is used primarily for domestic or social purposes. All other customers are non-residential customers.O.School Administrative Unit. "School Administrative Unit" is defined in 20-A M.R.S.A. §1(26). For the purpose of this Chapter, a School Administrative Unit includes School Administrative Districts (SADs), as defined in 20-A M.R.S.A. §1(25) and Community School Districts,as defined in 20-A M.R.S.A. §§1(5) and 1601(1).P.Service Center. A "Service Center" is a town or city designated by the Maine State Planning Office (SPO) as a regional service center in Chapter 220 of its rules, Methodology For Identification of Regional Service Centers.Q.Single Exchange BSCA. A "single exchange BSCA" is a Basic-Service Calling Area that includes only the home exchange.65-407 C.M.R. ch. 204, § 2