Chapter 425. Rules Governing Enhanced 911 (E-911) Service
20VAC5-425-10. Definitions.
The words and terms in § 56-484.12 of the Code of Virginia shall have application to this chapter. In addition, the following words and terms when used in this chapter shall have the following meanings unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Automatic location identification" or "ALI" means the feature by which the name, service address, and supplemental emergency service information associated with the calling party's telephone number are forwarded to the public safety answering point (PSAP) for automatic display on the PSAP terminal equipment.
"Automatic number identification" or "ANI" means a feature by which the telephone number associated with a network access line is initially generated and forwarded to a PSAP for display on a 911 terminal.
"Average busy hour" means the one-hour period during the week statistically shown over time to be the hour in which the most telephone calls are received.
"Commission" means the Virginia State Corporation Commission.
"Competitive local exchange carrier" or "CLEC" means an entity, other than a locality, authorized to provide local exchange telecommunications services in Virginia pursuant to § 56-265.4:4 of the Code of Virginia and 20VAC5-417.
"Competitive telephone company" or "CTC" means any ILEC or CLEC that has elected to be regulated as a competitive telephone company in accordance with Chapter 2.1 (§ 56-54.2 et seq.) of Title 56 of the Code of Virginia.
"Database error" means an error in ALI address information caused by a LEC that affects the ability of a PSAP to route emergency services correctly.
"E-911 ALI database" means the set of ALI records residing on a computer system that is used with ANI to associate a physical location with a telephone number, including information such as name, telephone number, address, nearest cross street, and special preexisting conditions.
"E-911 services" means the services purchased by a jurisdiction for the purpose of processing E-911 calls.
"Foreign central office service" means local exchange telecommunications service that is furnished from one central office to a location typically served by another central office.
"Foreign exchange service" means local exchange telecommunications service that is furnished from one exchange to a location typically served by another exchange.
"Incumbent local exchange carrier," "ILEC," or "incumbent" means a public service company providing local exchange telecommunications services in Virginia on December 31, 1995, pursuant to a certificate of public convenience and necessity, or the successors to any such company.
"Local exchange carrier" or "LEC" means a certificated provider of local exchange telecommunications services, encompassing ILECs, CLECs, and MLECs, including ILECs and CLECs regulated as CTCs.
"Local exchange telecommunications services" means local exchange telephone service as defined by § 56-1 of the Code of Virginia.
"Locality" means a city, town, or county that operates an electric distribution system in Virginia.
"Municipal local exchange carrier" or "MLEC" means a locality certificated to provide local exchange telecommunications services pursuant to § 56-265.4:4 of the Code of Virginia and 20VAC5-417.
"Network access line" or "NAL" means a wireline line, trunk, or equivalent.
"New entrant" means a CLEC or an MLEC.
"P.01 grade of service" means a standard of service quality reflecting the probability that no more than one call out of 100 during the average busy hour will be blocked.
"Public safety answering point" or "PSAP" means a facility equipped and staffed to receive and process 911 calls and route them to emergency services personnel.
"Staff" means the commission's Division of Public Utility Regulation and associated personnel.
Statutory Authority
§ 12.1-13 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 20, Issue 23, eff. July 1, 2004; amended, Virginia Register Volume 34, Issue 24, eff. August 1, 2018.
20VAC5-425-20. General provisions.
A LEC shall:
1. Provide to its end-user customers access to E-911 service on all NALs;
2. Provide each relevant PSAP with a means for immediate access to LEC personnel that are capable of providing information related to the PSAP's E-911 services. Such LEC contact shall be available on a 24-hour basis, 365 days a year. Any changes to this contact information shall be communicated in writing, including email, text, or facsimile, to affected PSAPs within 24 hours;
3. Provide LEC company identification codes on each ALI record submitted to the E-911 ALI database provider;
4. Provide ALI record information such that its E-911 database error rate, for a given PSAP, is no greater than 1.0%. The ALI database error rate shall be the number of a LEC's incorrect ALI address records divided by the total number of a LEC's ALI records queried during a calendar quarter;
5. Submit, or cause to be submitted, no less than 95% of all E-911 ALI database affecting changes (including nonpublished and nonlisted telephone numbers) to the E-911 ALI database provider within 48 hours of the LEC's receipt of notice of the change and 100% within 72 hours, excluding holidays and weekends;
6. Correct, or cause to be corrected, any ALI record within 48 hours of receiving written notification, including email, text, and facsimile, excluding holidays and weekends;
7. Exclude, or cause to be excluded, from the ALI database, ALI records that contain telephone numbers that cannot convey ANI;
8. Provide ALI record information relating to an E-911 emergency immediately upon the request of a verified authorized agent of the PSAP;
9. Advise customers applying for foreign exchange, foreign central office service, or any other wireline service, when there is the potential for problems in reaching the appropriate PSAP;
10. Render to a requesting PSAP, where the LEC provides ALI database services, detail sufficient to verify the accuracy of ALI database telephone number, name, and address information and company identification codes for each ANI. Such information shall be provided to the PSAP by the LEC on no more than a semi-annual basis and at a reasonable cost;
11. Render to a PSAP, upon request, on no more than a semi-annual basis, at no charge, detail sufficient to verify the accuracy of its E-911 services billing. This shall include (i) the total number of LEC ANI records of customers within the PSAP's jurisdiction served at each LEC end office, and (ii) the names of the other PSAPs served by each LEC end office where it serves more than one jurisdiction; and
12. Notify each relevant PSAP at least 30 days prior to the commencement or discontinuance of local exchange telecommunications services.
Statutory Authority
§ 12.1-13 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 20, Issue 23, eff. July 1, 2004; amended, Virginia Register Volume 34, Issue 24, eff. August 1, 2018.
20VAC5-425-30. Rates, tariffs, and product guides.
A. A new entrant's rates for any E-911 services shall be no higher than the lowest applicable rates established by the largest ILEC, as measured by the number of its NALs, serving the geographic area of the relevant PSAP.
B. A LEC, if it provides and charges for E-911 services, shall structure its E-911 services so that it charges PSAPs only for those services that it renders.
Statutory Authority
§ 12.1-13 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 20, Issue 23, eff. July 1, 2004; amended, Virginia Register Volume 34, Issue 24, eff. August 1, 2018.
20VAC5-425-40. Provisioning.
A LEC providing E-911 services shall:
1. Design, construct, maintain, and operate its facilities to minimize interruptions to E-911 services;
2. Determine E-911 service requirements in consultation with the relevant PSAP. These requirements shall be communicated to the PSAP prior to implementation and shall include detail sufficient to allow the PSAP to order E-911 service consistent with a minimum of a P.01 grade of service;
3. Provide priority restoration to the PSAP in the event of an outage of the LEC provided E-911 services or facilities; and
4. Provide E-911 service consistent with the level of service ordered by a PSAP.
Statutory Authority
§ 12.1-13 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 20, Issue 23, eff. July 1, 2004; amended, Virginia Register Volume 34, Issue 24, eff. August 1, 2018.
20VAC5-425-45. Reporting.
A. A LEC providing E-911 services shall:
1. Inform the staff of an E-911 service outage in Virginia by providing all reports required by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) under 47 CFR Part 4 as such FCC reports relate to 911 service. A LEC shall comply with all provisions of 47 CFR Part 4 related to report content, processing and delivery;
2. Upon request, provide to the commission or staff additional information related to 911 service outages not included in FCC reports as necessary to perform their oversight responsibility;
3. Provide the staff a copy of the annual reliability certification and any information submitted with or in addition to such certification required by the FCC under 47 CFR 12.4 that impact the reliability of 911 service in Virginia. Upon request, a LEC shall provide to the commission or staff additional information as deemed necessary to perform their oversight responsibility; and
4. If the LEC participates in the FCC's voluntary Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS), provide all DIRS comparable information filed with the FCC related to 911 service outages to PSAPs located in Virginia as provided to the DIRS as soon as practicable, but in no case later than two hours, after reporting to the FCC. This requirement shall remain in place until DIRS is deactivated.
B. Any information provided to the staff in accordance with this section which the LEC designates as confidential shall be afforded confidential treatment in accordance with 5VAC5-20-170 of the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure. Staff, until otherwise ordered by the commission, shall maintain such confidential information in strict confidence and shall not disclose its contents to members of the public.
Statutory Authority
§ 12.1-13 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 34, Issue 24, eff. August 1, 2018.
20VAC5-425-50. Commission authority.
The commission may, at its discretion, waive or grant exceptions to any provision of this chapter.
Statutory Authority
§ 12.1-13 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 20, Issue 23, eff. July 1, 2004; amended, Virginia Register Volume 34, Issue 24, eff. August 1, 2018.