For the purposes of this part, the following definitions shall apply:

(a) For the purposes of §§63.60 through 63.90, the term “carrier,” when used to refer either to all telecommunications carriers or more specifically to non-dominant telecommunications carriers, shall include interconnected VoIP providers.

(b) Discontinuance, reduction, or impairment of service includes, but is not limited to the following:

(1) The closure by a carrier of a telephone exchange rendering interstate or foreign telephone toll service, a public toll station serving a community or part of a community, or a public coast station as defined in §80.5 of this chapter;

(2) The reduction in hours of service by a carrier at a telephone exchange rendering interstate or foreign telephone toll service, at any public toll station (except at a toll station at which the availability of service to the public during any specific hours is subject to the control of the agent or other persons controlling the premises on which such office or toll station is located and is not subject to the control of such carrier), or at a public coast station; the term reduction in hours of service does not include a shift in hours which does not result in any reduction in the number of hours of service.

(3) The conversion of an interconnected VoIP service to a service that permits users to receive calls that originate on the public switched telephone network but not terminate calls to the public switched telephone network, or the converse.

(4) The dismantling or removal from service of any trunk line by a carrier which has the effect of impairing the adequacy or quality of service rendered to any community or part of a community;

(5) The severance by a carrier of physical connection with another carrier (including connecting carriers as defined in section 3(u) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended) or the termination or suspension of the interchange of traffic with such other carrier;

(c) Emergency discontinuance, reduction, or impairment of service means any discontinuance, reduction, or impairment of the service of a carrier occasioned by conditions beyond the control of such carrier where the original service is not restored or comparable service is not established within a reasonable time. For the purpose of this part, a reasonable time shall be deemed to be a period not in excess of the following: 10 days in the case of public coast stations; and 60 days in all other cases.

(d) Grandfather means to maintain the provision of a service to existing customers while ceasing to offer that service to new customers.

(e) The term “interconnected VoIP provider” is an entity that provides interconnected VoIP service as that term is defined in §9.3 of this chapter.

(f) Public toll station means a public telephone station, located in a community, through which a carrier provides service to the public, and which is connected directly to a toll line operated by such carrier.

(g) For the purposes of §§63.60 through 63.90, the term “service,” when used to refer to a real-time, two-way voice communications service, shall include interconnected VoIP service as that term is defined in §9.3 of this chapter but shall not include any interconnected VoIP service that is a “mobile service” as defined in §20.3 of this chapter.

(h) You. In this section, “You” refers to applicants and licensees.

(i) The term “technology transition” means any change in service that would result in the replacement of a wireline TDM-based voice service with a service using a different technology or medium for transmission to the end user, whether internet Protocol (IP), wireless, or another type; except that retirement of copper, as defined in §51.325(a)(3) of this chapter, that does not result in a discontinuance, reduction, or impairment of service requiring Commission authorization pursuant to this part shall not constitute a “technology transition” for purposes of this part.

[28 FR 13229, Dec. 5, 1963, as amended at 45 FR 6585, Jan. 29, 1980; 51 FR 31305, Sept. 2, 1986; 69 FR 29902, May 26, 2004; 74 FR 39563, Aug. 7, 2009; 81 FR 62656, Sept. 12, 2016; 82 FR 48777, Oct. 20, 2017; 82 FR 61478, Dec. 28, 2017; 85 FR 84265, Dec. 28, 2020]