1. (a) A telecommunications provider shall design its telephone network to allow for the expeditious deployment and integration of emerging technologies as they become commercially feasible.
2. (b) A telecommunications provider may develop affordable tariff rates specifically for medical links and distance learning services, provided that they comply with AS 42.05.361 - 42.05.421.
3. (c) A telephone company shall provide reliable powering of ordinary voice telephone service operating over those portions of the telecommunications network that are not network powered.

4. (d) After February 13, 1997, a telephone company shall only place

   1. (1) new wireline facilities into service that can provide

      1. (A) every subscriber with one-party service; and,
      2. (B) as-built or with additional equipment, transmission and reception of data at a rate no lower than one megabit per second; and

   2. (2) switching equipment into service that can provide

      1. (A) custom-calling features that, at a minimum, include call waiting, call forwarding, abbreviated dialing, and three-way calling; and
      2. (B) enhanced 911 service (E911 service) for areas served by the telephone company when requested by the governmental agency responsible for that service.
5. (e) After February 13, 2003, a telephone company shall only place new wireline facilities into service that can provide, as-built or with additional equipment, the ability to transmit video capable of depicting a reasonable representation of motion.

6. (f) By February 13, 2003, a

   1. (1) telephone company shall provide

      1. (A) service using switching equipment that can provide E911 service if requested by the governmental agency responsible for that service;
      2. (B) one-party service upon demand to subscribers; and
      3. (C) an end-to-end data transfer rate of no less that 28.8 kilobits per second; and
   2. (2) telecommunications provider shall provide switched digital service that operates at a rate of at least 56 kilobits per second to any customer upon request.

7. (g) A telecommunications provider shall work towards

   1. (1) elimination of party-line service; and

   2. (2) universal availability, upon request, of

      1. (A) digital voice and data service of at least 56 - 164 kilobits per second;
      2. (B) transmission and reception of high-bit-rate data at no less than 1 megabit per second; and
      3. (C) reception of video as described in (e) of this section.
8. (h) Compliance with the requirements of 3 AAC 53.700 - 3 AAC 53.720 may not be used to justify unreasonable or imprudent construction of facilities.

(Eff. 3/15/96, Register 137)

Authority: AS 42.05.141, AS 42.05.221, AS 42.05.311, AS 42.05.145, AS 42.05.241, AS 42.05.321, AS 42.05.151, AS 42.05.291, AS 42.05.800