§ 63.21. Directories.
(a) When a directory is provided by the jurisdictional telecommunications public utility, it must be revised and reissued at sufficiently frequent intervals to avoid serious inconvenience to the public. A satisfactory length for a directory period must be determined by the volume of changes and new listings and the facilities available for supplying new numbers to calling parties and for intercepting calls to numbers which have been changed.
(b) One copy of each new directory issue shall be furnished to the Commission by the issuing jurisdictional telecommunications public utility at the time of its distribution to subscribers. The jurisdictional telecommunications public utility shall furnish a new directory to customers and subscribers in the following manner:
(1) A jurisdictional telecommunications public utility shall include a bill message no less than once annually advising customers that paper copies of that market’s or service area’s affected directories are available upon request. The notice must provide customers with a toll-free number to call to obtain a paper directory at no cost and must include the jurisdictional telecommunications public utility’s Internet address where customers can find the online directory. The jurisdictional telecommunications public utility also shall post the notice on its web site.
(2) A jurisdictional telecommunications public utility shall make paper directories or USB thumb drive directories available at no charge to customers in that market or service area on an ‘‘upon request’’ basis by calling a toll free number maintained by the public utility.
(3) Distribution of directories beyond an ‘‘upon request’’ basis shall be at the discretion of the jurisdictional telecommunications public utility.
(4) Requests for printed directories shall be treated as standing orders but may be reconfirmed by the jurisdictional telecommunications public utility every 2 years.
(5) Directories shall be made available online in digital format at a web site maintained by the jurisdictional telecommunications public utility.
(6) Printed, USB and online versions of directories must meet all regulatory form and content requirements of this section and § 64.191(g) (relating to public information).
(c) A directory shall contain the following:
(1) The name of the issuing jurisdictional telecommunications public utility.
(2) The month and year issued.
(3) A statement of the area covered by the directory.
(4) Necessary instructions to enable users to place calls efficiently, including, but not limited to, telephone company local, toll, emergency and operator-assistance calls. Necessary instructions to transact business with the telephone company, such as payment of bills, ordering changes in service and reporting service difficulties.
(5) A separate section containing social service organization, school and government listings.
(d) A name shall be listed in a directory only if the following conditions are met:
(1) It leads to a positive and particular identification of a party.
(2) It is a name the party legally is authorized to use.
(3) It is a name used by the party in the community.
(4) It is a name which is not misleading, deceptive or confusing.
(e) Upon receiving a customer complaint alleging misleading, deceptive or confusing directory listings, a jurisdictional telecommunications public utility shall investigate the complaint under § 63.15 (relating to complaint procedures). If the utility determines that a directory listing is misleading, deceptive or confusing, the utility shall delete the listing from future directories. After reaching its decision the jurisdictional telecommunications public utility shall advise interested parties in writing of its opinion and shall inform them of the right to file a complaint with the Commission.
(f) The provisions of this section shall be in effect until January 1, 2026 whereupon directory distribution is no longer required.
Authority The provisions of this § 63.21 amended under the Public Utility Code, 66 Pa.C.S. § § 501, 504—506, 1301, 1501, 1504, 2901 and 3019(b)(2) and (3).
Source The provisions of this § 63.21 adopted March 25, 1946; amended through June 30, 1969; amended January 29, 1988, effective July 30, 1988, 18 Pa.B. 466; amended July 17, 1998, effective July 18, 1998, 28 Pa.B. 3394; amended August 12, 2022, effective August 13, 2022, 52 Pa.B. 5049. Immediately preceding text appears at serial pages (246449) to (246450).
Notes of Decisions Duty to Inform
Duty to inform public under this section does not establish duty on part of phone company to give non-negligent legal service in its directory, where issue was raised for first time on appeal. Rice v. Bell Telephone Company of Pennsylvania, 524 A.2d 522 (Pa. Super. 1987).
No part of the information on this site may be reproduced for profit or sold for profit.
This material has been drawn directly from the official Pennsylvania Code full text database. Due to the limitations of HTML or differences in display capabilities of different browsers, this version may differ slightly from the official printed version.
