NOTICES
PENNSYLVANIA PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION
Default Order
[31 Pa.B. 4613] Public Meeting held
July 26, 2001Commissioners Present: Glen R. Thomas, Chairperson; Robert K. Bloom, Vice Chairperson; Aaron Wilson, Jr.; Terrance J. Fitzpatrick
Law Bureau Prosecutory Staff v. Echo Communications, Inc. (2000.0348); C-00015452
Default Order By the Commission:
On October 30, 1998, the Commission entered an Order approving the application of Echo Communications, Inc. (Echo Communications) at A-310707 and A-310707, F0002, for authority to offer telecommunications services as a reseller of interexchange (IXC) toll services and a competitive local exchange carrier (CLEC), respectively, within Pennsylvania. Although a tariff was filed on December 30, 1998, this tariff was insufficient and was not approved by the Commission. No certificate of public convenience was ever issued formalizing the company's provisional authority to compete as either an IXC reseller or as a CLEC because satisfactory initial tariffs regarding these services were never filed with the Commission.
On February 22, 2001, Law Bureau Prosecutory Staff mailed a letter to Echo Communications stating that its IXC reseller and CLEC authorities may be rescinded if the Commission did not receive initial tariffs within 60 days from the date of the letter.
Having not received tariffs from Echo Communications within the specified time, on May 22, 2001, Law Bureau Prosecutory Staff filed a formal complaint against Echo Communications. The complaint charged that Echo Communications violated Section 1302 of the Public Utility Code, 66 Pa.C.S. § 1302, relating to the filing of tariffs, by not filing initial tariffs within the prescribed time. Section 1302 provides in pertinent part:
Under such regulations as the commission may prescribe, every public utility shall file with the commission, within such time and in such form as the commission may designate, tariffs showing all rates established by it and collected or enforced, or to be collected or enforced, within the jurisdiction of the commission.According to the post office receipt, service of the complaint was perfected on May 23, 2001. To date, more than 20 days later, no answer has been filed to the complaint and no tariffs have been filed. Moreover, our records show that Echo Communications has no reported CLEC or IXC customers at this time; Therefore, It Is Ordered:
1. That the allegations in Law Bureau Prosecutory Staff's complaint are deemed admitted and the complaint is thereby sustained.
2. That the Secretary serve a copy of this order upon all jurisdictional telecommunication carriers and also cause a copy of this order to be published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin with a 20-day comment period.
3. That Echo Communications immediately cease providing service to any new customers and, within 10 days of the entry date of this order, provide a written notice to any existing customers directing each to select an alternative carrier service provider within 30 days of the date of the notice. Such notice must include a statement of the Commission's intent to cancel Echo Communication's provisional authority absent adverse public comment within the 20-day time constraint established pursuant to Ordering Paragraph No. 2, above.
4. That absent the filing of adverse comment, 30 days after publication in the Pennsylvania Bulletin and without further action by the Commission, Echo Communications' provisional authority at A-310707 and A-310707, F0002, shall be cancelled, and the company's name stricken from all active-utility lists maintained by the Tariff and Annual Report Section of the Commission's Bureau of Fixed Utility Services and the Assessment Section of the Bureau of Audits.
JAMES J. MCNULTY,
Secretary
[Pa.B. Doc. No. 01-1538. Filed for public inspection August 17, 2001, 9:00 a.m.]
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