(a) The commission shall require a holder of a certificate of convenience and necessity or a certificate of operating authority to provide at the applicable tariff rate, if any, to each customer, regardless of race, national origin, income, or residence in an urban or rural area:
- (1) single-party service;
- (2) tone-dialing service;
- (3) basic custom calling features;
- (4) equal access for an interLATA interexchange carrier on a bona fide request; and
- (5) digital switching capability in an exchange on customer request, provided by a digital switch in the exchange or by connection to a digital switch in another exchange.
- (b) Notwithstanding Subsection (a), an electing incumbent local exchange company serving more than 175,000 but fewer than 1,500,000 access lines on January 1, 1995, shall install a digital switch in each central office that serves an exchange of fewer than 20,000 access lines.
- (c) The commission may temporarily waive a requirement imposed by Subsection (a) or (b) on a showing of good cause.
(d) The commission may not consider the cost of implementing this section in determining whether an electing company is entitled to:
- (1) a rate increase under Chapter 58 or 59; or
- (2) increased universal service funds under Subchapter B, Chapter 56.
- (e) Expired.
Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 166, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1997.