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Ohio Laws and Rules
(A) Customer notice is required for the following circumstances:
(1) Change in a carrier’s name.
(2) Changes in terms and conditions of an existing service.
(3) Increase in rate(s).
(4) Expansion of local calling area.
(B) Notice shall be provided to affected end users either by bill insert, bill message, direct mail, or, if the customer consents, by electronic mail, or as otherwise agreed to within a LEC’s contract with a nonresidential customer. Agreement by the customer to electronic billing satisfies customer consent requirements with respect to customer notice that would otherwise be provided as part of the customers’ regular billing. Notice shall be provided to the chief of telecommunications of the utilities department and the chief of the reliability and service analysis division of the service monitoring and enforcement department no later than the date it is provided to customers. All notices sent to end user customers must include:
(1) For customer inquiries, company’s customer service toll-free telephone number and web site (if web site exists).
(2) Name of service offering being changed.
(3) Effective date of change.
(C) Notices for rate or service changes, where applicable, must contain in addition to paragraph (B) of this rule:
(1) Current rate.
(2) New rate.
(3) Distinction of rate increase between residential and nonresidential customers (if the rate change is different for the two classes).
(4) Description of service terms if they change.
(5) For self-complaint (SLF) applications, a competitive local exchange carrier (CLEC) shall also include language stating that the increase is pending commission approval and that affected customers have a right to file an objection with the commission within fifteen days of the filing of the SLF application.
(6) For change in operation applications filed pursuant to rule 4901:1-6-14 of the be directly impacted by the application and what customer action, if any, is necessary as a result of such application.
(D) All customer notices must be sent to affected customers at least fifteen days prior to filing the application or a zero-day notice with the commission. Applicants must include with the application or notice, at the time of filing, the actual customer notice and a notarized affidavit verifying that this customer notice has been provided to affected customers. The time frames provided pursuant to this paragraph apply to all customer notices unless specific rules provide otherwise.
(E) In the event that the commission staff determines that a notice provided to customers is not consistent with commission rules, the commission staff may require the company to re-notice customers.
Replaces: 4901:1-6-17
Effective: 09/18/2007
R.C. 119.032 review dates: 05/31/2012
Promulgated Under: 111.15
Statutory Authority: 4901.13
Rule Amplifies: 4901.13, 4927.03
Prior Effective Dates: 4/8/03