Montana Code Annotated 2023

TITLE 69. PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CARRIERS

CHAPTER 3. REGULATION OF UTILITIES

Part 8. Montana Telecommunications Act

Nondiscriminatory Intercarrier Compensation -- Billing Records -- Enforcement -- Rulemaking

69-3-815. Nondiscriminatory intercarrier compensation -- billing records -- enforcement -- rulemaking. (1) An originating carrier of local telecommunications service shall transmit with the originating carrier's telecommunications traffic information necessary to enable the terminating carrier to identify, measure, and appropriately charge the originating carrier for the termination of the local telecommunications service.

(2) A provider of intralocal access transport area toll services or any other carrier that provides nonlocal telecommunications services in Montana shall transmit with its telecommunications traffic information necessary to enable the terminating carrier to identify, measure, and appropriately charge for the termination of the telecommunications traffic.

(3) A transiting carrier shall deliver telecommunications traffic to terminating carriers by means of facilities that enable the terminating carrier to receive from the originating carrier any and all information that the originating carrier transmits with its telecommunications traffic that enables the terminating carrier to identify, measure, and appropriately charge the originating carrier or the interlocal access transport area carrier or intralocal access transport area toll provider of nonlocal telecommunications traffic for the termination of its telecommunications traffic.

(4) A transiting carrier is required to provide billing records for its transit traffic to the terminating carrier upon request. The transiting carrier shall provide billing records pursuant to existing policies and agreements until the commission adopts rules pursuant to subsection (7).

(5) A local exchange carrier or commercial mobile radio services provider that delivers local telecommunications traffic to a terminating carrier, directly or indirectly through a transiting carrier, shall, upon request of the terminating carrier, negotiate an interconnection agreement with the terminating carrier, as provided in 69-3-831 through 69-3-839. The interconnection agreement must include rates, terms, and conditions for reciprocal compensation for the transport and termination of local telecommunications traffic.

(6) A telecommunications carrier registered to provide telecommunications services in Montana pursuant to 69-3-805 may file a complaint with the commission requesting enforcement of this section, including enforcement of an agreement approved by the commission under 69-3-839. Upon the filing of a complaint, the commission may authorize the terminating carrier to refuse to terminate traffic from the originating carrier or the commission may authorize interim payments. The commission may order compensation to the terminating carrier and may order other appropriate relief.

(7) The commission shall adopt rules for the implementation of this section. The rules must provide for the expedited resolution of complaints filed pertaining to the provisions of this section. The rules must identify what type of transit records are available and what the cost of the transit records should be and must determine which party is responsible for the payment of detailed call records to the transiting carrier.

History: En. Sec. 2, Ch. 423, L. 2003.