SECTION 255.4. Definition of a Local Exchange Access Line or an Equivalent Local Exchange Access Line

(a) The terms "local exchange access line" or "equivalent local exchange access line" mean the physical voice grade telecommunications connection or the cable or broadband transport facilities, or any combination of these facilities, owned, controlled, or relied upon by a service provider, between an end user customer's premises and a service provider's network that, when the digits 9-1-1 are dialed, provides the end user customer access to a public safety answering point through a permissible interconnection to the dedicated 9-1-1 network. In the case of multi-channel services or offerings, channelized by a service provider, each individual channel provided to an end user customer shall constitute a separate "local exchange access line" or "equivalent local exchange access line" (e.g., ISDN-PRI service consists of 24 individual channels.) The terms "local exchange access line" or "equivalent local exchange access line" include lines as defined above that a service provider offers at a fully or partially discounted rate from the provider's base rate to a class of end users (e.g., the service provider's employees/retirees). Such discounting is not a basis for eliminating or reducing the 9-1-1 emergency service fee on such lines, except in the instance of an Emergency Communication District imposing its 9-1-1 emergency service fee based on a percentage in lieu of a flat rate.

(b) The terms "local exchange access line" or "equivalent local exchange access line" do not include coin-operated public telephone equipment, public telephone equipment operated by card reader, commercial mobile radio service that provides access to a paging or other one-way signaling service, a communication channel suitable only for data transmission, a line from a telecommunications service provider to an Internet service provider for the Internet service provider's data modem lines used only to provide its Internet access service and that are not capable of transmitting voice messages, a wireless roaming service or other nonvocal commercial mobile radio service, a private telecommunications system, or a wireless telecommunications connection subject to Texas Health and Safety Code §771.0711.

(c) A service provider using one or more facilities with multiple calling capabilities to serve a single end user customer location that cannot determine the actual number of local exchange access lines or equivalent local exchange access lines being served by such facilities (e.g., Enterprise Voice over Internet Protocol applications), shall assess the 9-1-1 emergency service fee as follows:

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Source Note: The provisions of this §255.4 adopted to be effective July 11, 1988, 13 TexReg 3291; amended to be effective December 13, 1995, 20 TexReg 10187; amended to be effective June 8, 1999, 24 TexReg 4226; amended to be effective November 21, 1999, 24 TexReg 10045; amended to be effective February 13, 2005, 30 TexReg 543; amended to be effective October 16, 2006, 31 TexReg 8508; amended to be effective October 11, 2007, 32 TexReg 7037