(1) A person, corporation, company or association of individuals or their lessees, trustees or receivers may not provide intrastate telecommunications service on a for-hire basis without a certificate of authority issued by the Public Utility Commission under this section.

(2) Applications for certificates of authority must be in a form prescribed by the commission and must describe the telecommunications services the applicant proposes to provide.

(3)(a) Except as provided in ORS § 759.050, a certificate may not authorize any person to provide local exchange telecommunications service within the local exchange telecommunications service area of a telecommunications utility unless the utility consents, is unable to provide the service or fails to protest an application.

(b) Paragraph (a) of this subsection does not apply to any application for a certificate by a provider of shared telecommunications services.

(4) A hearing need not be held prior to issuance of a certificate of authority except upon the commission’s own motion or unless the application is to authorize a person to provide local exchange telecommunications service in the local exchange telecommunications service area of a telecommunications utility and the utility protests. After hearing, the commission shall issue the certificate only upon a showing that the proposed service is required by the public interest.

(5) The commission may classify a successful applicant for a certificate as a telecommunications utility or as a competitive telecommunications services provider. If the commission finds that a successful applicant for a certificate has demonstrated that services it offers are subject to competition or that its customers or those proposed to become customers have reasonably available alternatives, the commission shall classify the applicant as a competitive telecommunications services provider. The commission shall conduct the initial classification and any subsequent review of the classification in accordance with procedures the commission may establish by rule, after hearings. The commission may attach reasonable conditions to the classification and may amend or revoke any order as provided in ORS § 756.568. For purposes of this section, in determining whether telecommunications services are subject to competition or whether there are reasonably available alternatives, the commission shall consider:

(a) The extent to which services are available from alternative providers in the relevant market.

(b) The extent to which the services of alternative providers are functionally equivalent or substitutable at comparable rates, terms and conditions.

(c) Existing economic or regulatory barriers to entry.

(d) Any other factors deemed relevant by the commission.

(6) Any provider of intrastate toll service must inform customers of the service level furnished by that provider, according to rules of the commission. The commission, by rule, shall determine the level of intrastate toll service that is standard. Any provider of intrastate toll service must identify the service level the provider plans to furnish in an annual report to the commission. The commission shall revoke the certification of any provider that does not consistently furnish the service level identified in the provider’s annual report. [Formerly 757.815; 1991 c.326 § 1; 1993 c.423 § 1; 2022 c.60 § 9]