Georgia § 46-5-164 - Interconnection among certificated local exchange companies.

§ 46-5-164. Interconnection among certificated local exchange companies.

All local exchange companies shall permit reasonable interconnection with other certificated local exchange companies. This subsection includes all or portions of such services as needed to provide local exchange services. The rates, terms, and conditions for such interconnection services shall not unreasonably discriminate between providers and shall be negotiated in good faith between the providers and filed with the commission. In the event that such rates, terms, or conditions cannot be negotiated by the parties, the commission shall determine the reasonable rates, terms, or conditions for the interconnection services. Such interconnection services shall be provided for intrastate services on an unbundled basis similar to that required by the FCC for services under the FCC's jurisdiction. The commission is authorized to allow local exchange companies to resell the services purchased from other local exchange companies pursuant to rules determining when and under what circumstances such resale shall be allowed; provided, however, that the resale of basic local exchange services supported by the Universal Access Fund shall be limited to users and uses conforming to the definition of basic local exchange services set forth in paragraph (2) of Code Section 46-5-162. Any local exchange company or telecommunications company desiring to purchase or to resell services purchased from another local exchange company may petition the commission for the authorization to purchase or to resell such services. In cases where the purchase or resale of services purchased is authorized by the commission, the commission shall determine the reasonable rates, terms, or conditions for the purchase or resale of such local exchange services such that no local exchange company or telecommunications company gains an unfair market position. The commission shall render a final decision in any proceeding initiated pursuant to the provisions of this subsection no later than 60 days after the close of the record except that the commission, by order, may extend such period in any case in which it shall find that the complexity of the issues and the length of the record require an extension of such period, in which event the commission shall render a decision at the earliest date practicable. In no event shall the commission delay the rendering of a final decision in such proceeding beyond the earlier of 120 days after the close of the record or 180 days from the filing of the notice of petition under this subsection. The commission, at its discretion or upon a petition filed by either party, may modify a ruling rendered under this subsection, provided that a petition for modification may not be filed more than once in any 18 month period. The basic local exchange services of Tier 2 local exchange companies may be purchased by competing providers at the tariffed rate, provided such reselling does not result in the loss of intrastate or interstate revenues to the selling company for the individual service being resold. This subsection does not apply to Tier 2 local exchange companies that have switched access rates that are lower than or at parity with the same local exchange company's interstate switched access rates. The commission shall have the authority to require local exchange companies to provide additional interconnection services and unbundling. (Code 1981, § 46-5-164 , enacted by Ga. L. 1995, p. 886, § 2.)