199—22.8 (476) Nontoll interexchange trunking service (EAS) survey procedure.
	 22.8(1) General information.
	  a.   	 The nontoll interexchange trunking service (EAS) survey procedures shall be followed by all telephone companies subject to the service jurisdiction of this board. The procedures in 22.8(2) and 22.8(3) shall be followed to establish EAS. The procedures in 22.8(4) and 22.8(5) shall be followed in order to discontinue EAS. There is no need to follow these procedures if there will be no rate increase associated with new EAS.
	  b.   	 At all stages of this procedure the information required to be supplied to customers shall be sufficient to explain the required items to the customers, yet the information shall be in a form which is sufficiently brief not to confuse the customers or discourage the customers from completing the survey.
	  c.   	 Whenever an EAS survey is conducted, the company shall mail to each customer account (primary service listing) a survey letter explaining the purpose of the survey, and a postage-paid, company-addressed return postcard on which the customer can indicate the customer’s preference.
	  d.   	 The company shall provide the board, for its approval, a copy of the proposed text and format of the customer letter and ballot survey card. The board may require alterations or corrections before permission is granted to proceed with the actual survey of the customers.
	 22.8(2) Procedures and requirements for establishing EAS studies.
	  a.   	 The initiative for EAS shall be in the form of a request presented to the company with evidence of support indicated by a petition signed by no less than 15 percent of the exchange customers. Only the person to whom the monthly bill is addressed may sign the petition. In the case of a business customer, only a duly authorized agent or representative may sign. Each signer shall include address and telephone number. Initiative for EAS may also come from the company or the board.
	  b.   	 If the requirements of 22.8(2), paragraph “a,” are fulfilled, a point-to-point usage study should be used to determine if sufficient community interest exists. There should be an average of five or more calls per customer per month and more than 50 percent of the customers making at least two toll calls per month. If these basic criteria are not met, the request will be dismissed without further proceedings.
	  c.   	 If the provisions of 22.8(2), paragraph “b,” have been met, additional customer calling studies, cost and revenue studies including loss of toll revenues may be conducted, and submitted to the board. The board shall determine the merits of proceeding with a customer survey.
	  d.   	 Records shall be kept of this procedure to substantiate the steps taken by the company. These studies need not be undertaken more than once in any 18-month period.
	 22.8(3) Procedures and requirements for customer survey to establish EAS.
	  a.   	 The customer survey for two-way EAS need not be taken more than once in any 18-month period and the survey letter should contain the following items:
	 (1) 	 An explanation of the purpose of the survey.
	 (2) 	 A statement which identifies by class and grade of service the existing rate, the amount of rate increase and the new rate associated with the addition of the proposed EAS.
	 (3) 	 A statement that more than 65 percent of the customers returning ballots must vote in favor of the proposal before further action will be taken.
	 (4) 	 A statement indicating the proposed date when service would be established which shall not be more than two years from the survey ballot return date, unless the delay is granted by the board due to the facility considerations.
	 (5) 	 The date by which the ballot must be returned to be considered shall be a minimum of 10 days and a maximum of 20 days from the date on which the survey letter is mailed to the customer. The ballots shall not be counted for 3 days following the survey ballot return date to allow all return cards to clear the post office. Results of the survey shall be provided to the board within 15 days of the return date.
	  b.   	 Ballot by return postcard. The postage-paid, company-addressed return postcard included with the customer survey letter should contain the following information:
	 (1) 	 A statement explaining the EAS proposal being voted on as set out in the customer survey letter.
	 (2) 	 A place for the customer to indicate whether customer favors or is opposed to the establishment of EAS.
	 (3) 	 Lines designated for the customer’s signature, telephone number and date.
	  c.   	 The return ballot shall be retained by the company for at least two years and shall be available for review by the board staff during that time. After two years the ballots may be destroyed; however, the results of the survey as recorded from the return ballots shall be maintained for a period of five years.
	  d.   	 If the customers in an exchange vote in favor of EAS to another exchange but concurrence in two-way EAS is not received from that second exchange then consideration may be given to one-way EAS. The same basic survey procedure shall be followed as provided herein, but the customer survey letter shall also include information concerning lack of concurrence on two-way service by the neighboring exchange and that another survey is being taken to determine interest in one-way calling.
	 22.8(4) Procedures and requirements for discontinuing EAS.
	  a.   	 The initiative to discontinue EAS shall be in the form of a request presented to the company with evidence of support indicated by a petition signed by no less than 15 percent of the exchange customers. Only the person to whom the monthly bill is addressed may sign the petition. In the case of a business customer, only a duly authorized agent or representative may sign. Each signer must include address and telephone number. Initiative to discontinue EAS may also come from the company or the board.
	  b.   	 Customer calling studies, cost and revenue studies may be conducted and submitted to the board. The board shall determine the merits of proceeding with a customer survey.
	  c.   	 Records shall be kept of this procedure to substantiate the steps taken by the company. These studies need not be undertaken more than once in any 18-month period.
	 22.8(5) Procedures and requirements for customer survey to discontinue EAS.
	  a.   	 The customer survey for two-way EAS need not be taken more than once in any 18-month period and the survey letter should contain the following items:
	 (1) 	 An explanation of the purpose of the survey.
	 (2) 	 A statement which identifies by class and grade of service the amount of rate decrease, if any, and the new rates associated with the proposed discontinuance of EAS.
	 (3) 	 A statement that more than 65 percent of the customers returning ballots must vote in favor of the discontinuance proposal before further action will be taken.
	 (4) 	 A statement indicating the proposed date when service would be discontinued (which shall not be more than six months from the survey ballot return date).
	 (5) 	 The date by which the ballots must be returned to be considered. This return date shall be a minimum of 10 days and a maximum of 20 days from the date on which the survey letter is mailed to the customer. The ballots shall not be counted for 3 days following the survey ballot return date to allow all return cards to clear the post office. Results of the survey shall be provided to the board within 15 days of the return date.
	  b.   	 Ballot by return postcard. The postage-paid, company-addressed return postcard included with the customer survey letter should contain the following information:
	 (1) 	 A statement explaining the EAS proposal being voted on as set out in the customer survey letter.
	 (2) 	 A place for the customer to indicate whether customer favors or is opposed to the discontinuance of EAS.
	 (3) 	 Lines designated for the customer’s signature, telephone number and date.
	  c.   	 The return ballot shall be retained by the company for at least two years and shall be available for review by the board staff during that time. After two years, the ballot may be destroyed; provided, however, a record showing the results of the survey as recorded from the return ballots shall be maintained for a period of five years.
	  d.   	 If the customers approve discontinuance of two-way EAS to another exchange and concurrence in that discontinuance cannot be obtained from the customers of the second exchange, consideration may be given to continuance of one-way EAS by that second exchange. The same basic survey procedure shall be followed as provided herein, but the customer survey letter shall also include a statement indicating that the neighboring exchange or its customers have voted to discontinue two-way EAS and that this survey is being taken to determine interest in one-way calling.