When used in this chapter, the following words have the following meanings:

(1) BASIC TELEPHONE SERVICE. Refers to a service that, as provided by an incumbent local exchange carrier, may be through any technology and through any affiliate or service arrangement and includes the functionalities described in 47 C.F.R. 54.101(a).

(2) BROADBAND SERVICE or BROADBAND ENABLED SERVICE. Any service that consists of or includes a high-speed access capability to transmit at a rate that is not less than 200 kilobits per second either in the upstream or downstream direction, and either of the following:

a. Provides computer processing, information storage, information content or protocol conversion, including any service applications or information service provided over such high-speed access service.

b. Is used to provide access to the Internet.

(3) BUNDLED OFFERING. A combination of retail services offered as a package, whether at a single price or with the availability of the price for one service contingent on the purchase of other services. A bundled offering must be advertised and sold as a bundled offering at rates, terms, or conditions that are different than if the services are purchased separately and may be comprised of any telecommunications services offered by a local exchange carrier in combination with any other telecommunications services or with any nontelecommunications services, including services offered by an affiliate of the local exchange carrier or a nonaffiliated third party provider.

(4) COMMISSION. The Public Service Commission of the State of Alabama.

(5) COMMUNICATIONS SERVICE. Any service that is either a telecommunications service or an information service.

(6) CONTRACT OFFERING. Any retail contractual agreement, whether or not memorialized in writing, by which a local exchange or inter-exchange carrier offers any communications service to any existing customer or potential customer.

(7) ELIGIBLE TELECOMMUNICATIONS CARRIER. A telecommunications carrier which qualifies for universal service support under 47 U.S.C. §214(e) as a common carrier and provides the services supported by the federal universal support mechanisms under 47 U.S.C. §254(c) throughout the service area for which eligible telecommunications carrier designation is received.

(8) EXCHANGE ACCESS. The offering of access to telephone exchange services or facilities for the purpose of origination or termination of telephone toll services.

(9) EXISTING BUNDLED OFFERING. A bundled offering subscribed to by the customer before September 1, 2006.

(10) EXISTING CONTRACT OFFERING. Any contract offering executed by the customer before September 1, 2006.

(11) INCUMBENT LOCAL EXCHANGE CARRIER. With respect to an area, the local exchange carrier that, on the date of enactment of the Federal Telecommunications Act of 1996, provided telephone exchange service in the area and was deemed to be a member of the Exchange Carrier Association pursuant to Section 69.601(b) of the Federal Communications Commission's regulations (47 CFR §69.601(b)) or, on or after that date of enactment, became a successor or assignee of a member of the Exchange Carrier Association.

(12) INFORMATION SERVICE. The offering of a capability for generating, acquiring, storing, transforming, processing, retrieving, utilizing, or making available information via telecommunications, and includes electronic publishing, but does not include any use of any such capability for the management, control, or operation of a telecommunications system or the management of a telecommunications service.

(13) INTER-EXCHANGE CARRIER. Any company certified by the commission to provide intrastate inter-exchange telecommunications service in this state.

(14) LIFELINE. A program designed to increase the availability of communications services to low income subscribers by providing a credit to monthly recurring local service to qualifying residential subscribers. The terms and conditions of the program shall be in compliance with the Federal Communications Commission's rules and with the Telecommunications Act of 1996.

(15) LINK-UP. A program designed to increase the availability of communications services to low income subscribers by providing a credit to the non-recurring installation and service charges to qualifying residential subscribers. The terms and conditions of the program shall be in compliance with the Federal Communications Commission's rules and with the Telecommunications Act of 1996.

(16) LOCAL EXCHANGE CARRIER. Any provider of telecommunications service that is engaged in the provision of telephone exchange service or exchange access.

(17) NEW BUNDLED OFFERING. A bundled offering subscribed to by the customer on or after September 1, 2006.

(18) NEW CONTRACT OFFERING. Any contract offering executed by the customer on or after September 1, 2006.

(19) OPTIONAL TELEPHONE FEATURES. Those central office-based features that were tariffed by a local exchange carrier on or before February 1, 2005, that, where available:

a. Are available to a line-side connection in a telephone switch;

b. Are available on a stand-alone basis separate from a bundled offering; and

c. Enhance the utility of basic telephone service. The term includes, but is not limited to, call forwarding, call waiting, and caller ID.

(20) TELECOMMUNICATIONS. As defined in the Telecommunications Act of 1996, 47 U.S.C. §153(43).

(21) TELECOMMUNICATIONS CARRIER. Any provider of telecommunications services. A telecommunications carrier shall be treated as subject to this chapter only to the extent that it is engaged in providing telecommunications service.

(22) TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICE. The offering of telecommunications for a fee directly to the public, or to any classes of users as to be effectively available directly to the public, regardless of the facilities used. The term does not include the provision of commercial mobile service under Section 332(c) of the Federal Communications Act of 1934.

(23) TELEPHONE EXCHANGE SERVICE. Either of the following:

a. Service within a telephone exchange, or within a connected system of telephone exchanges within the same exchange area operated to furnish to subscribers intercommunicating service of the character ordinarily furnished by a single exchange, and which is covered by the exchange service charge.

b. Comparable service provided through a system of switches, transmission equipment, or other facilities, or combination thereof, by which a subscriber can originate and terminate telecommunications service.

(24) VOICE OVER INTERNET PROTOCOL (VoIP) SERVICE. An interconnected voice over Internet (VoIP) service, as defined in 47 C.F.R. §9.3, as amended, that does all of the following:

a. Enables real-time, two-way voice communications.

b. Requires a broadband connection from the user's location.

c. Requires Internet protocol-compatible customer premises equipment (CPE).

d. Permits users generally to receive calls that originate on the public switched telephone network and to terminate calls to the public switched telephone network.