(1) Unless exempt from compliance under section 251(f) of the federal Telecommunications Act of 1996 (47 U.S.C. § 251(f)), a telecommunications utility shall not:

(a) Discriminate against another provider of retail telecommunications services by unreasonably refusing or delaying access to the telecommunications utility’s local exchange services.

(b) Discriminate against another provider of retail telecommunications services by providing access to required facilities on terms or conditions less favorable than those the telecommunications utility provides to itself and its affiliates. A telecommunications facility, feature or function is a required facility if:

(A) Access to a proprietary facility, feature or function is necessary; and

(B) Failure to provide access to the facility, feature or function would impair a telecommunications carrier seeking access from providing the services the carrier is seeking to provide.

(c) Unreasonably degrade or impair the speed, quality or efficiency of access or any other service, product or facility provided to another provider of telecommunications services.

(d) Fail to disclose in a timely and uniform manner, upon reasonable request and pursuant to a protective agreement concerning proprietary information, all information reasonably necessary for the design of network interface equipment, services or software that will meet the specifications of the telecommunications utility’s local exchange network.

(e) Unreasonably refuse or delay interconnections or provide inferior interconnections to another provider of telecommunications services.

(f) Use basic exchange services rates, directly or indirectly, to subsidize or offset the cost of other products or services offered by the telecommunications utility.

(g) Discriminate in favor of itself or an affiliate in the provision and pricing of, or extension of credit for, any telephone service.

(h) Fail to provide a service, product or facility in accordance with applicable contracts, and tariffs and rules of the Public Utility Commission.

(i) Impose unreasonable or discriminatory restrictions on network elements or the resale of its services, except that:

(A) The telecommunications utility may require that residential service not be resold as a different class of service; and

(B) The commission may prohibit the resale of services the commission has approved for provision to a not-for-profit entity at rates below those offered to the general public.

(j) Provide telephone service to a person acting as a telecommunications provider if the commission has ordered the telecommunications utility to discontinue telephone service to the person.

(2) A complaint alleging a violation of subsection (1) of this section shall be heard by the Public Utility Commission or, at the commission’s discretion, by an Administrative Law Judge designated by the commission. A hearing under this subsection shall be conducted in an expedited manner consistent with the following:

(a) The complaint shall be served upon the telecommunications carrier and filed with the commission.

(b) An answer or other responsive pleading to the complaint shall be filed with the commission not more than 10 days after receipt of the complaint. Copies of the answer or responsive pleading shall be served upon the complainant and upon the commission.

(c) A prehearing conference shall be held not later than 15 days after the complaint is filed. Hearing on the complaint shall commence not later than 30 days after the complaint is filed. Within 45 days after the complaint is filed, the commission shall either prepare a final decision or approve as final the decision of the Administrative Law Judge. The final decision shall be issued as an order of the commission in the manner provided under ORS § 756.558.

(3) If the commission or Administrative Law Judge finds that a violation of this section has occurred, the commission shall, within five business days, order the telecommunications utility to remedy the violation within a specified period of time. The commission may prescribe specific action to be taken by the utility, including but not limited to submitting a plan for preventing future violations. If the violation continues beyond the time period specified in the commission’s order, the commission on its own motion or upon the motion of an interested party may seek penalties as provided in ORS § 759.990 or otherwise may seek enforcement under ORS § 756.160 or 756.180, or both.

(4) Total annual penalties imposed on a telecommunications utility under this section and ORS § 759.450 shall not exceed two percent of the utility’s gross intrastate revenue from the sale of telecommunications services for the year preceding the year in which the violation occurred.

(5) An order of the commission under this section is subject to judicial review in the manner provided by ORS § 756.610.

(6) The Court of Appeals shall give proceedings brought before the court under this section priority over all other matters before the court. [1999 c.1093 § 38; 2005 c.638 § 17; 2017 c.312 § 11]

ALLOCATION OF TERRITORIES

(Generally)