Rachelle B. Chong is the assigned Commissioner and Michael J. Galvin is the assigned ALJ in this proceeding.
1. Notice of the application appeared in the Daily Calendar on March 19, 2009.
2. CPSD filed a protest to the application on April 15, 2009.
3. No hearing is required since there are no disputed material issues of fact.
4. In prior decisions, the Commission authorized competition in providing resold local and interexchange services for carriers meeting specific criteria.
5. The application process for telephone carriers seeking to provide non-dominant resold local exchange and interexchange services in California was replaced with a simplified registration process consisting of 11 questions.
6. The Commission issued R.09-07-009 into revising the simplified registration process on July 15, 2009.
7. ADMA has sufficient knowledge and technical expertise in the telecommunications business.
8. ADMA has a minimum of $25,000 of cash or cash equivalent that is reasonably liquid and readily available to meet its start-up expenses.
9. ADMA has sufficient additional cash or cash equivalent to cover any deposits that may be required by other telecommunications carriers in order to provide the proposed service.
1. The matters brought to our attention by CPSD demonstrate that the Registration Form questions provide for a very narrow interpretation of what should be reported in the Registration Form.
2. ADMA has not misled the Commission by its exclusion of information provided by CPSD in its protest.
3. The disclosure issues identified by CPSD do not amount to a Rule 1 violation in this instance.
4. ADMA has sufficient technical expertise to operate as a telecommunications carrier.
5. ADMA has the financial ability to provide the proposed service.
6. Since ADMA will not be constructing any facilities, it can be seen with certainty that there will be no significant effect on the environment.
7. Public convenience and necessity require that ADMA's resold competitive local exchange and interexchange services be subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein.
8. ADMA should be granted the requested certificate of public convenience and necessity subject to the conditions in the attached Appendices A and B.
9. The application should be granted to the extent set forth below.
10. ADMA shall be subject to the applicable Commission rules, decisions, General Orders, and statutes that pertain to California's Public Utilities.
11. Because of the public interest in competitive local exchange and interexchange services, the following order should be effective immediately.
IT IS ORDERED that:
1. ADMA TELECOM, INC. is granted a certificate of public convenience and necessity to operate as a switchless reseller of competitive local exchange and interexchange services, subject to the terms and conditions set forth below.
2. ADMA TELECOM, INC. is authorized to provide local exchange service in the service territories of Pacific Telephone Company, Verizon California Inc., SureWest Telephone Company, and Citizens Telecommunications Company of California, Inc. ADMA TELECOM, INC. is also authorized to provide interexchange telecommunications services within California.
3. ADMA TELECOM, INC. is exempt from the requirement to file tariffs subject to conditions set forth in the attached appendices.
4. ADMA TELECOM, INC. is assigned corporate identification number U-7153-C which shall be included in the caption of all original filings with this Commission.
5. ADMA TELECOM, INC. shall comply with all applicable rules adopted in the Local Exchange Competition proceeding (Rulemaking 95-04-043/Investigation 95-04-044), the Commission's rules and regulations for non-dominant interexchange carriers set forth in Decision 93-05-010 and Decision 90-08-032, as well as all other applicable Commission rules, decisions, General Orders and statues that pertain to California public utilities, subject to the exemptions granted in this decision.
6. ADMA TELECOM, INC. shall comply with the requirements applicable to competitive local exchange carriers and non-dominant interexchange carriers included in Attachment A to this decision.
7. ADMA TELECOM, INC. is not authorized to construct facilities.
8. The certificate granted, and the authority to render service under the rates, charges, and rules authorized, will expire if not exercised within 12 months after the effective date of this order.
9. Application 09-03-016 is closed.
This order is effective today.
Dated October 29, 2009, at San Francisco, California.
MICHAEL R. PEEVEY
President
DIAN M. GRUENEICH
JOHN A. BOHN
RACHELLE B. CHONG
TIMOTHY ALAN SIMON
Commissioners
ATTACHMENT A
REQUIREMENTS APPLICABLE TO COMPETITIVE LOCAL EXCHANGE CARRIERS AND INTEREXCHANGE CARRIERS
1. Applicant shall file, in this docket, a written acceptance of the certificate granted in this proceeding within 30 days of the effective date of this order.
2. Applicant is subject to the following fees and surcharges that must be regularly remitted per the instructions in Appendix E to Decision (D.) 00-10-028, the Combined California PUC Telephone Surcharge Transmittal Form must be submitted even if the amount due is $0.
a. The current 1.15% surcharge applicable to all intrastate services except for those excluded by D.94-09-065, as modified by D.95-02-050, to fund the Universal Lifeline Telephone Service Trust Administrative Committee Fund (Pub. Util. Code § 879; Resolution T-17071, dated March 1, 2007, effective April 1, 2007);
b. The current 0.20% surcharge applicable to all intrastate services except for those excluded by D.94-09-065, as modified by D.95-02-050, to fund the California Relay Service and Communications Devices Fund (Pub. Util. Code § 2881; D.98-12-073 and Resolution T-17127, dated December 20, 2007, effective January 1, 2008);
c. The user fee provided in Pub. Util. Code §§ 431-435, which is 0.18% of gross intrastate revenue (Resolution M-4819), dated June 7, 2007, effective July 1, 2007;
d. The current 0.13% surcharge applicable to all intrastate services except for those excluded by D.94-09-065, as modified by D.95-02-050, to fund the California High Cost Fund-A (Pub. Util. Code § 739.3; D.96-10-066, pp. 3-4, App. B, Rule 1.C; Resolution T-17128, dated December 20, 2007, effective January 1, 2008);
e. The current 0.25% surcharge applicable to all intrastate services except for those excluded by D.94-09-065, as modified by D.95-02-050, to fund the California High Cost Fund-B (D.96-10-066, p. 191, App. B, Rule 6.F., D.07-12-054);
f. The current 0.25% surcharge applicable to all intrastate services except for those excluded by D.94-09-065, as modified by D.95-02-050, to fund the California Advanced Services Fund (D.07-12-054); and
g. The current 0.079% surcharge applicable to all intrastate services except for those excluded by D.94-09-065, as modified by D.95-02-050, to fund the California Teleconnect Fund (D.96-10-066, p. 88, App. B, Rule 8.G, Resolution T-17142, dated April 26, 2008, effective June 1, 2008).
Note: These fees change periodically. In compliance with Resolution T-16901, December 2, 2004, you should check the joint tariff for surcharges and fees filed by Pacific Bell Telephone Company (dba AT&T California) and apply the current surcharge and fee amounts in that joint tariff on end-user bills until further revised.
3. Applicant is a competitive local exchange carrier (CLC). The effectiveness of any future tariffs is subject to the requirements of General Order 96-B and the Telecommunications Industry Rules (D.07-09-019).
4. Applicant is a nondominant interexchange carrier (NDIEC). The effectiveness of any future NDIEC tariffs is subject to the requirements of General Order 96-B and the Telecommunications Industry Rules (D.07-09-019).
5. Contracts shall reflect all fees and surcharges to which Applicant is subject, as reflected in 2 above.
6. Prior to initiating service, Applicant shall provide the Commission's Consumer Affairs Branch with the name and address of its designated contact person(s) for purposes of resolving consumer complaints. This information shall be updated if the name or telephone number changes, or at least annually.
7. Applicant shall notify the Director of the Communications Division in writing of the date that local exchange service is first rendered to the public, no later than five days after service first begins.
8. Applicant shall notify the Director of the Communications Division in writing of the date interLATA service is first rendered to the public within five days after service begins, and again within five days after intraLATA service begins.5
9. Applicant shall keep its books and records in accordance with the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.
10. In the event Applicant's books and records are required for inspection by the Commission or its staff, it shall either produce such records at the Commission's offices or reimburse the Commission for the reasonable costs incurred in having Commission staff travel to its office.
11. Applicant shall file an annual report with the Director of the Communications Division, in compliance with GO 104-A, on a calendar-year basis with the information contained in Attachment C to this decision.
12. Applicant shall file an annual report with the Director of the Communications Division, in compliance with GO 104-A, on a calendar-year basis with the information contained in Attachment C to this decision.
13. Applicant shall ensure that its employees comply with the provisions of Public Utilities (Pub. Util.) Code § 2889.5 regarding solicitation of customers.
14. Within 60 days of the effective date of this order, Applicant shall comply with Pub. Util. Code § 708, Employee Identification Cards, and notify the Director of the Communications Division in writing of its compliance.
15. If Applicant is 90 days or more late in filing an annual report, or in remitting the surcharges and fee listed in 2 above, the Communications Division shall prepare for Commission consideration a resolution that revokes Applicant's CPCN unless it has received written permission from the Communications Division to file or remit late.
16. Applicant is exempt from Commission Rules of Practice and Procedure 3.1(b).
17. Applicant is exempt from Pub. Util. Code §§ 816-830.
18. Applicant is exempt from the requirements of Pub. Util. Code § 851 for the transfer or encumbrance of property whenever such transfer or encumbrance serves to secure debt.
19. If Applicant decides to discontinue service or file for bankruptcy, it shall immediately notify the Communications Division's Bankruptcy Coordinator.
20. Applicant shall send a copy of this decision to concerned local permitting agencies not later than 30 days from the date of this order.
(END OF ATTACHMENT A)
ATTACHMENT B
ANNUAL REPORT
An original hard copy, and a machine-readable electronic copy, on a CD or floppy disk using Microsoft Word or a compatible format, shall be filed with the California Public Utilities Commission, 505 Van Ness Avenue, Room 3107, San Francisco, CA 94102-3298. The filing shall be made no later than March 31st of the year following the calendar year for which the annual report is submitted.
Failure to file this information on time may result in a penalty as provided for in §§ 2107 and 2108 of the Public Utilities Code.
Required information:
1. Exact legal name and U# of reporting utility.
2. Address.
3. Name, title, address, and telephone number of the person to be contacted concerning the reported information.
4. Name and title of the officer having custody of the general books of account and the address of the office where such books are kept.
5. Type of organization (e.g., corporation, partnership, sole proprietorship, etc.).
If incorporated, specify:
a. Date of filing articles of incorporation with the Secretary of State.
b. State in which incorporated.
6. The number and date of the Commission decision granting the Utility's CPCN.
7. Date operations were begun.
8. Description of other business activities in which the utility is engaged.
9. A list of all affiliated companies and their relationship to the utility. State if affiliate is:
a. Regulated public utility.
b. Publicly held corporation.
10. Balance sheet as of December 31st of the year for which information is submitted.
11. Income statement for California operations for the calendar year for which information is submitted.
For answers to any questions concerning this report, call (415) 703-2883.
(END OF ATTACHMENT B)
ATTACHMENT C
CALENDAR YEAR AFFILIATE TRANSACTION REPORT
1. Each utility shall list and provide the following information for each affiliated entity and regulated subsidiary that the utility had during the period covered by the annual Affiliate Transaction report.
· Form of organization (e.g., corporation, partnership, joint venture, strategic alliance, etc.);
· Brief description of business activities engaged in;
· Relationship to the utility (e.g., controlling corporation, subsidiary, regulated subsidiary, affiliate);
· Ownership of the utility (including type and percent ownership);
· Voting rights held by the utility and percent; and
· Corporate officers.
2. The utility shall prepare and submit a corporate organization chart showing any and all corporate relationships between the utility and its affiliated entities and regulated subsidiaries in #1 above. The chart should have the controlling corporation (if any) at the top of the chart; the utility and any subsidiaries and/or affiliates of the controlling corporation in the middle levels of the chart and all secondary subsidiaries and affiliates (e.g., a subsidiary that in turn is owned by another subsidiary and/or affiliate) in the lower levels. Any regulated subsidiary should be clearly noted.
3. For a utility that has individuals who are classified as "controlling corporations" of the competitive utility, the utility must only report under the requirements of #1 and #2 above any affiliated entity that either (a) is a public utility or (b) transacts any business with the utility filing the annual report excluding the provision of tariffed services.
4. Each annual report must be signed by a corporate officer of the utility stating under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of California (CCP 2015.5) that the annual report is complete and accurate with no material omissions.
5. Any required material that a utility is unable to provide must be reasonably described, and the reasons the data cannot be obtained, as well as the efforts expended to obtain the information, must be set forth in the utility's annual Affiliate Transaction Report and verified in accordance with Section I-F of D.93-02-019.
6. Utilities that do not have affiliated entities must file, in lieu of the annual transaction report, an annual statement to the Commission stating that the utility had no affiliated entities during the report period. This statement must be signed by a corporate officer of the utility, stating under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of California (CCP 2015.5) that the annual report is complete and accurate with no material omissions.
(END OF ATTACHMENT C)
5 California is divided into ten Local Access and Transport Areas (LATAs), each containing numerous local telephone exchanges. InterLATA describes services, revenues and functions relating to telecommunications originating within one LATA and terminating in another LATA. IntraLATA describes services, revenues and functions relating to telecommunications originating within a single LATA.