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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>64250</law_id><section_number>56-1</section_number><catch_line>Definitions</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>12.1-12</reference><reference>13.1-1002</reference><reference>15.2-2160</reference><reference>19.2-389</reference><reference>2.2-1204</reference><reference>46.2-1219.3</reference><reference>46.2-1224</reference><reference>56-1.1</reference><reference>56-1.2</reference><reference>56-265.13:7</reference><reference>56-49</reference><reference>56-533</reference><reference>58.1-2680</reference><reference>63.2-1902</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="56">Public Service Companies</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="1">General Provisions</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="1">In General</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>Whenever used in this title, unless the context requires a different meaning:
		&#x201C;Broadband connection,&#x201D; for purposes of this section, means a connection where transmission speeds exceed 200 kilobits per second in at least one direction.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Commission</span>&#x201D; means the State Corporation <span class="dictionary">Commission</span>.
		&#x201C;Corporation&#x201D; or &#x201C;company&#x201D; includes all corporations created by acts of the General Assembly of Virginia, or under the general incorporation <span class="dictionary">laws</span> of this Commonwealth, or doing business therein, and shall exclude all <span class="dictionary">municipal corporations</span>, other political subdivisions, and public institutions owned or controlled by the Commonwealth.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Electric vehicle charging service</span>&#x201D; means the replenishment of the <span class="dictionary">battery</span> of a <span class="dictionary">plug-in electric motor vehicle</span>, which replenishment occurs by plugging the motor vehicle into an electric power source in <span class="dictionary">order</span> to charge or recharge its <span class="dictionary">battery</span>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Interexchange telephone service</span>&#x201D; means telephone service between points in two or more exchanges that is not classified as <span class="dictionary">local exchange telephone service</span>. &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Interexchange telephone service</span>&#x201D; shall not include <span class="dictionary">Voice-over-Internet protocol service</span> for purposes of regulation by the <span class="dictionary">Commission</span>, including the imposition of certification processing fees and other administrative requirements, and the filing or approval of tariffs. Nothing herein shall be construed to either <span class="dictionary">mandate</span> or prohibit the payment of switched network access <span class="dictionary">rates</span> or other intercarrier compensation, if any, related to <span class="dictionary">Voice-over-Internet protocol service</span>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Local exchange telephone service</span>&#x201D; means telephone service provided in a geographical area established for the administration of communication services and consists of one or more central offices together with associated facilities which are used in providing local exchange service. Local exchange service, as opposed to interexchange service, consists of telecommunications between points within an exchange or between exchanges which are within an area where customers may call at specified <span class="dictionary">rates</span> and charges. &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Local exchange telephone service</span>&#x201D; shall not include <span class="dictionary">Voice-over-Internet protocol service</span> for purposes of regulation by the <span class="dictionary">Commission</span>, including the imposition of certification processing fees and other administrative requirements, and the filing or approval of tariffs. Nothing herein shall be construed to either <span class="dictionary">mandate</span> or prohibit the payment of switched network access <span class="dictionary">rates</span> or other intercarrier compensation, if any, related to <span class="dictionary">Voice-over-Internet protocol service</span>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Mail</span>&#x201D; includes electronic <span class="dictionary">mail</span> and other forms of electronic communication when the customer has requested or authorized electronic bill delivery or other electronic communications.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Municipality</span>&#x201D; or &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">municipal corporation</span>&#x201D; shall include an authority created by a governmental unit exempt from the <span class="dictionary">referendum</span> requirement of &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Creation of electric authority; referendum" href="/15.2-5403/">15.2-5403</a>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Person</span>&#x201D; includes individuals, partnerships, limited liability companies, and corporations.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Plug-in electric motor vehicle</span>&#x201D; means an on-road motor vehicle that draws propulsion using a traction <span class="dictionary">battery</span> that has at least four kilowatt hours of capacity, uses an external source of electric energy to charge or recharge the <span class="dictionary">battery</span>, has a gross vehicle weight of not more than 14,000 pounds, and meets any applicable emissions standards.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Public service corporation</span>&#x201D; or &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">public service company</span>&#x201D; includes gas, pipeline, electric light, heat, power and water supply companies, sewer companies, telephone companies, and all <span class="dictionary">persons</span> authorized to transport passengers or property as a common carrier. &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Public service corporation</span>&#x201D; or &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">public service company</span>&#x201D; shall not include (i) a <span class="dictionary">municipal corporation</span>, other political subdivision or public institution owned or controlled by the Commonwealth; however, if such an entity has obtained a certificate to provide services pursuant to &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Certificate to operate as a telephone utility" href="/56-265.4_4/">56-265.4:4</a>, then such entity shall be deemed to be a <span class="dictionary">public service corporation</span> or <span class="dictionary">public service company</span> and subject to the authority of the <span class="dictionary">Commission</span> with respect only to its provision of the services it is authorized to provide pursuant to such certificate; or (ii) any company described in subdivision (b)(10) of &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/56-265.1/">56-265.1</a>.
		&#x201C;Railroad&#x201D; includes all railroad or railway lines, whether operated by steam, electricity, or other motive power, except when otherwise specifically designated.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Railroad company</span>&#x201D; includes any company, trustee or other <span class="dictionary">person</span> owning, leasing or operating a railroad.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Rate</span>&#x201D; means <span class="dictionary">rate</span> charged for any service rendered or to be rendered.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Rate</span>,&#x201D; &#x201C;charge&#x201D; and &#x201C;regulation&#x201D; include joint <span class="dictionary">rates</span>, joint charges and joint regulations, respectively.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Regulated operating revenue</span>&#x201D; includes only revenue from services not found to be competitive.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Transportation company</span>&#x201D; includes any <span class="dictionary">railroad company</span>, any company transporting express by railroad, and any ship or boat company.
		&#x201C;Virginia limited liability company&#x201D; has the same meaning ascribed to &#x201C;limited liability company&#x201D; in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/13.1-1002/">13.1-1002</a>. A foreign limited liability company, as that term is defined in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/13.1-1002/">13.1-1002</a>, may become a Virginia limited liability company, even though also being a limited liability company organized under <span class="dictionary">laws</span> other than the <span class="dictionary">laws</span> of the Commonwealth, by filing articles of organization that meet the requirements of &#xA7;&#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Filing requirements" href="/13.1-1003/">13.1-1003</a> and <a class="law" title="Articles of organization" href="/13.1-1011/">13.1-1011</a> and include (i) the name of the foreign limited liability company immediately prior to the filing of the articles of organization; (ii) the date on which and the <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span> in which the foreign limited liability company was first formed, organized, created or otherwise came into being; and (iii) the <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span> that constituted the seat, siege social, or principal place of business or central administration of the foreign limited liability company, or any equivalent thereto under applicable <span class="dictionary">law</span>, immediately prior to the filing of the articles of organization. With respect to a foreign limited liability company that is also organized as a Virginia limited liability company, the terms and conditions of its organization as a Virginia limited liability company shall be approved in the manner provided for by the document, instrument, agreement or other writing, as the case may be, governing the internal affairs of the foreign limited liability company in the conduct of its business or by applicable <span class="dictionary">law</span> other than the <span class="dictionary">law</span> of the Commonwealth, as appropriate.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Voice-over-Internet protocol service</span>&#x201D; or &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">VoIP service</span>&#x201D; means any service that: (i) enables real-time, two-way voice communications that originate or terminate from the user&#x2019;s location using Internet protocol or any successor protocol and (ii) uses a broadband connection from the user&#x2019;s location. This definition includes any such service that permits users generally to receive calls that originate on the public switched telephone network and to terminate calls to the public switched telephone network.</p></section></text><history>Code 1919, &#xA7;&#xA7; 3693, 3881; 1971, Ex. Sess., c. 23; 1984, c. 382; 2002, cc. 479, 489; 2004, c. 1028; 2006, cc. 691, 912, 929, 941; 2007, c. 619; 2009, c. 746; 2011, cc. 408, 738, 740; 2016, c. 288.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
