476.91  Alternative operator services.
  1.  Definitions.  As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:
  a.  “Alternative operator services company” means a nongovernmental company which receives more than half of its Iowa intrastate telecommunications services revenues from calls placed by end-user customers from telephones other than ordinary residence or business telephones. The definition is further limited to include only companies which provide operator assistance, either through live or automated intervention, on calls placed from other than ordinary residence or business telephones, and does not include services provided under contract to rate-regulated local exchange utilities.
  b.  “Contracting entity” means an entity providing telephones other than ordinary residence or business telephones for use by end-user customers which has contracted with an alternative operator services company to provide telecommunications services to those telephones.
  c.  “End-user customer” means a person who places a local or toll call.
  d.  “Other than ordinary residence or business telephones” means telephones other than the residence or business telephones of the customary users of the telephones, including but not limited to pay telephones and telephones in motel, hotel, hospital, and college dormitory rooms.
  2.  Jurisdiction.  Notwithstanding any finding by the commission that a service or facility is subject to competition and should be deregulated pursuant to section 476.1, all intrastate telecommunications services provided by alternative operator services companies to end-user customers, using other than ordinary residence or business telephones, are subject to the jurisdiction of the commission and shall be rendered pursuant to tariffs approved by the commission. Alternative operator services companies shall be subject to all requirements and sanctions provided in this chapter. Contracting entities shall be subject to the requirements of any commission regulations concerning telecommunications services provided by alternative operator services companies.
  3.  Requirements.  The commission shall adopt and enforce requirements for the provision of services by alternative operator services companies and contracting entities.
  4.  Billing by local exchange utilities.  Notwithstanding any finding by the commission that a service or facility is subject to competition and should be deregulated pursuant to section 476.1, a regulated local exchange utility shall not perform billing and collection functions relating to regulated telecommunications services provided by an alternative operator services company, unless the alternative operator services company has filed a statement with the local exchange utility signed by a corporate officer, or other authorized person having personal knowledge, that all regulated telecommunications services to be billed shall be rendered pursuant to tariffs approved by the commission.
89 Acts, ch 95, §1; 2024 Acts, ch 1170, §369
Referred to in §476.95
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