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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>78043</law_id><section_number>56-54.2</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>56-57</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="2.1">Competitive Telephone Companies</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Competitive local exchange telephone company</span>&#x201D; means (i) a competing telephone company, excluding a city, town, or county, that was granted a certificate on or after January 1, 1996, 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> or (ii) an <span class="dictionary">incumbent local exchange telephone company</span> to the extent such company is providing service outside of its <span class="dictionary">incumbent territory</span>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Competitive telephone company</span>&#x201D; means (i) an <span class="dictionary">incumbent local exchange telephone company</span> whose residential dial tone lines (a) were deemed competitive by the <span class="dictionary">Commission</span> throughout the company&#x2019;s incumbent service territory prior to January 1, 2014, or (b) are declared competitive by the <span class="dictionary">Commission</span> throughout its incumbent service territory on or after January 1, 2014, in a proceeding pursuant to &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Telephone regulatory alternatives" href="/56-235.5/">56-235.5</a> or (ii) a <span class="dictionary">competitive local exchange telephone company</span>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Incumbent local exchange telephone company</span>&#x201D; means a <span class="dictionary">public service corporation</span> that was providing <span class="dictionary">local exchange telephone service</span> prior to January 1, 1996, or a successor entity to such a <span class="dictionary">public service corporation</span>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Incumbent territory</span>&#x201D; means the area in which an <span class="dictionary">incumbent local exchange telephone company</span> was providing <span class="dictionary">local exchange telephone service</span> prior to July 1, 2002, except as its incumbent certificate may have been amended by the <span class="dictionary">Commission</span> after that date pursuant to subdivision B 1 of &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Certificate to operate as a telephone utility" href="/56-265.4_4/">56-265.4:4</a>.</p></section></text><history>2014, cc. 340, 376.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
