1. (a) Acceptance of applications. When an eligible telecommunications carrier receives an application for service within its service territory or within an adjacent unallocated territory, the eligible telecommunications carrier shall neither refuse to accept the application for service nor request the applicant to withdraw the application.

2. (b) Service connection requirements.

   1. (1)

      1. (A) All extensions of service shall be made in accordance with the LEC’s extension of facilities tariffs.
      2. (B) An applicant for service must meet all requirements of this part in order to qualify to receive service.

   2. (2) Where facilities are available.

      1. (A) Service connection deadlines. All reasonable efforts shall be made to serve qualified applicants within five (5) business days after receipt of an application unless a later date is requested by the applicant.
      2. (B) Quality of service evaluations. For purposes of evaluating the quality of service, ninety-five percent (95%) or more of all qualified applications monthly for each exchange must be served within the time frame specified above except exchanges of two thousand (2,000) lines or less will be evaluated on an average of three (3) consecutive monthly results.
      3. (C) Expected service dates.

3. (i) Each LEC shall notify the applicant of the expected service date.

   1. (ii) If an LEC will not be able to connect service on the expected service date, it shall promptly notify the applicant of the new expected service connection date.

   2. (3) Where facilities are not available within the service territory.

      1. (A) Initial information. Within five (5) business days after receipt of a qualified application for service, an LEC shall:

         1. (i) Inform or mail notice to the applicant that facilities are not readily available;
         2. (ii) Inform the applicant that within ten (10) business days the LEC will provide the applicant an expected service date; and
         3. (iii) Inform the applicant of:
4. (a) (a) The Extension of Telecommunications Facilities Fund; and

5. (b) (b) Its applicable two-hundred-fifty-dollar limit on the applicant’s contribution.

   1. (B)

      1. (i) Written proposal. Within thirty (30) business days of the receipt of a qualified application, the LEC shall provide a written proposal to the applicant that shall provide:
6. (a) (a) An explanation of any conditions and circumstances the applicant must meet before service will be provided; and

7. (b) (b) If there will be a cost to the applicant, an estimate of the costs.

   1. (ii) Exception. When an engineering study is required, the LEC shall provide a written proposal to the applicant for service within sixty (60) business days of the receipt of the application.

      1. (C) Changing the expected service date. If the LEC will not be able to connect service on the expected service date, it shall promptly notify the applicant of the new expected service connection date.

      2. (D) Connection deadlines.

         1. (i) All reasonable efforts shall be made to serve qualified applications received for service within thirty (30) days unless a later date is requested by the applicant.
         2. (ii) If an applicant requests service outside the base rate area and the LEC requires the applicant to pay excess construction costs under tariff, the LEC shall complete the construction and provide service to the applicant within ninety (90) days of the applicant’s acceptance of the written proposal unless a later date is requested by the applicant.
         3. (iii) For purposes of evaluating the quality of service, ninety-five percent (95%) or more of all qualified applications monthly for each exchange must be served within the time frames specified above except exchanges of two thousand (2,000) lines or less will be evaluated on an average of three (3) consecutive monthly results.

   2. (4) Within adjacent unallocated territory.

      1. (A) Initial information. Within five (5) business days after receipt of a qualified application for service, an ETC shall inform the applicant:

         1. (i) That facilities are not readily available;
         2. (ii) That within fifty-five (55) business days the ETC will provide the applicant an expected service date;
         3. (iii) That provision of service is dependent on allocation of the territory to the ETC by the Arkansas Public Service Commission;
         4. (iv) That provision of service is dependent on arrangements to reimburse the ETC for all of its construction costs within the unallocated territory from the Extension of Telecommunications Facilities Fund and/or the applicant; and
         5. (v) Of the Extension of Telecommunications Facilities Fund and its applicable two-hundred-fifty-dollar limit on the applicant’s contribution.

      2. (B) Written proposal. Within sixty (60) business days of the receipt of a qualified application, the ETC shall provide a written proposal to the applicant that shall provide:

         1. (i) An explanation of any conditions and circumstances the applicant must meet before service will be provided;
         2. (ii) An estimate of the applicant’s costs; and
         3. (iii) The expected service date.
      3. (C) Changing the expected service date. If the ETC will not be able to connect service on the expected service date, it shall promptly notify the applicant of the new expected service connection date.

      4. (D) Connection deadlines.

         1. (i) The ETC shall complete the construction and provide service to the applicant within ninety (90) days of the applicant’s acceptance of the written proposal unless the applicant requests a later date.
         2. (ii) For purposes of evaluating the quality of service, ninety-five percent (95%) or more of all qualified applications monthly for each exchange must be served within the time frames specified above except exchanges of two thousand (2,000) lines or fewer will be evaluated on an average of three (3) consecutive monthly results.

Codification Notes: This section was promulgated as Rule 9.01 of the Telecommunications Providers Rules prior to codification in the Code of Arkansas Rules.