New Mexico Administrative Code
Title 17 - PUBLIC UTILITIES AND UTILITY SERVICES
Chapter 11 - TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Part 16 - CONSUMER PROTECTION
Section 17.11.16.7 - DEFINITIONS

A. access line means a dial tone line that provides local exchange service from a LEC's switching equipment to a point of termination at the customer's network interface;

B. basic local exchange service means the customer's voice grade access to the public switched network, dual tone multifrequency (DTMF) signaling or its functional equivalent, and access to emergency services (911 and E-911), operator services, toll services, directory assistance, and toll blocking services for qualifying low income customers, but does not include discretionary services;

C. billing agent means any person that submits bills for telecommunications services to a customer on behalf of a carrier;

D. carrier means any person that furnishes telecommunications service to the public subject to the jurisdiction of the commission, regardless of the facilities used and regardless of whether the person relies in part or entirely on another carrier's facilities, and includes wireless carriers;

E. chronically delinquent means the status of a residential customer who during the prior twelve (12) months has been disconnected by a carrier for nonpayment or who on three (3) or more occasions during the prior twelve months has not paid a bill by the date a subsequent bill is rendered;

F. competitive local exchange carrier (CLEC) means a carrier that provides competitive local exchange service in its service area and is not an ILEC;

G. complaint means an oral or written expression of dissatisfaction with a carrier's charges or services (including a request for repair) made to a carrier by or on behalf of a customer;

H. customer means a person that has applied for or is currently receiving telecommunications services;

I. delinquent means the status of a bill rendered to a residential customer for telecommunications service which remains unpaid after the due date of the bill;

J. discontinuance of service means the intentional cessation of basic local exchange service by a LEC not voluntarily requested by a customer;

K. discretionary service means voice mail, caller ID, caller name ID, call waiting, 3-way calling, call forwarding, call return, call blocker, and auto redial, and any similar service sold as an add-on to a customer's basic local exchange service;

L. incumbent local exchange carrier (ILEC) means a person that was authorized to provide local exchange service in New Mexico on February 8, 1996, or a successor or assignee of the person; a carrier will also be treated as an ILEC if the federal communications commission determines that such provider (or class or category of carrier) shall be treated as an ILEC pursuant to 47 U.S.C. Section 251(h)(2);

M. incumbent rural telecommunications carrier (IRTC) has the meaning given in NMSA 1978 Section 63-9H-3;

N. local exchange carrier (LEC) includes incumbent local exchange carriers and competitive local exchange carriers;

O. medical professional means a licensed physician, physician's assistant, osteopathic physician, osteopathic physician's assistant or certified nurse practitioner;

P. network interface means the point at which the network side of telecommunications service meets the customer side;

Q. primary local exchange line means the first exchange access line installed by any LEC to serve a customer at the customer's premises, as distinct from additional lines that may be ordered at the same or a subsequent time at the same premises;

R. small business customer means a customer subscribing to ten (10) or fewer exchange access lines;

S. telecommunications service has the meaning given to the term "public telecommunications service" in NMSA 1978 Section 63-9A-3;

T. wire center means a facility where local exchange access lines converge and are connected to a switching device which provides access to the public switched network, and includes remote switching units and host switching units;

U. wireless carrier means a telecommunications carrier licensed by the federal communications commission to provide wireless service in New Mexico.