(a) The complaint shall contain the name, address, telephone number, and email address of the complainant; name, address, telephone number, and email address of the respondent; and a verification (in accordance with the requirements of Sec. 1.52), signed by the complainant or officer thereof if complainant is a corporation, showing complainant's direct interest in the matter complained of. Counsel for the complainant may sign the complaint. Complainants may join together to file a joint complaint. Complaints filed by associations shall specifically identify each utility, cable television system operator, or telecommunications carrier who is a party to the complaint and shall be accompanied by a document from each identified member certifying that the complaint is being filed on its behalf.
(b) The complaint shall be accompanied by a certification of service on the named respondent, and each of the Federal, State, and local governmental agencies that regulate any aspect of the services provided by the complainant or respondent.
(c) In a case where it is claimed that a rate, term, or condition is unjust or unreasonable, the complaint shall contain a statement that the State has not certified to the Commission that it regulates the rates, terms and conditions for pole attachments. The complaint shall include a statement that the utility is not owned by any railroad, any person who is cooperatively organized or any person owned by the Federal Government or any State.
(d) The complaint shall be accompanied by a copy of the pole attachment agreement, if any, between the cable system operator or telecommunications carrier and the utility. If there is no present pole attachment agreement, the complaint shall contain:
(1) A statement that the utility uses or controls poles, ducts, or conduits used or designated, in whole or in part, for wire communication; and
(2) A statement that the cable television system operator or telecommunications carrier currently has attachments on the poles, ducts, conduits, or rights-of-way.
(e) The complaint shall state with specificity the pole attachment rate, term or condition which is claimed to be unjust or unreasonable.
(f) In any case, where it is claimed that a term or condition is unjust or unreasonable, the claim shall specify all information and argument relied upon to justify said claim.
(g) For attachments to poles, where it is claimed that either a rate is unjust or unreasonable, or a term or condition is unjust or unreasonable and examination of such term or condition requires review of the associated rate, the complaint shall provide data and information in support of said claim.
(1) The data and information shall include, where applicable:
(i) The gross investment by the utility for pole lines;
(ii) The investment in crossarms and other items which do not reflect the cost of owning and maintaining poles, if available;
(iii) The depreciation reserve from the gross pole line investment;
(iv) The depreciation reserve from the investment in crossarms and other items which do not reflect the cost of owning and maintaining poles, if available;
(v) The total number of poles:
(A) Owned; and
(B) Controlled or used by the utility. If any of these poles are jointly owned, the complaint shall specify the number of such jointly owned poles and the percentage of each joint pole or the number of equivalent poles owned by the subject utility;
(vi) The total number of poles which are the subject of the complaint;
(vii) The number of poles included in paragraph (g)(1)(vi) of this section that are controlled or used by the utility through lease between the utility and other owner(s), and the annual amounts paid by the utility for such rental;
(viii) The number of poles included in paragraph (g)(1)(vi) of this section that are owned by the utility and that are leased to other users by the utility, and the annual amounts paid to the utility for such rental;
(ix) The annual carrying charges attributable to the cost of owning a pole. The utility shall submit these charges separately for each of the following categories: Depreciation, rate of return, taxes, maintenance, and administrative. These charges may be expressed as a percentage of the net pole investment. With its pleading, the utility shall file a copy of the latest decision of the state regulatory body or state court that determines the treatment of accumulated deferred taxes if it is at issue in the proceeding and shall note the section that specifically determines the treatment and amount of accumulated deferred taxes.
(x) The rate of return authorized for the utility for intrastate service. With its pleading, the utility shall file a copy of the latest decision of the state regulatory body or state court which establishes this authorized rate of return if the rate of return is at issue in the proceeding and shall note the section which specifically establishes this authorized rate and whether the decision is subject to further proceedings before the state regulatory body or a court. In the absence of a state authorized rate of return, the rate of return set by the Commission for local exchange carriers shall be used as a default rate of return;
(xi) The average amount of usable space per pole for those poles used for pole attachments (13.5 feet may be in lieu of actual measurement, but may be rebutted);
(xii) The average amount of unusable space per pole for those poles used for pole attachments (a 24 foot presumption may be used in lieu of actual measurement, but the presumption may be rebutted); and
(xiii) Reimbursements received from CATV operators and telecommunications carriers for non-recurring costs.
(2) Data and information should be based upon historical or original cost methodology, insofar as possible. Data should be derived from ARMIS, FERC 1, or other reports filed with state or federal regulatory agencies (identify source). Calculations made in connection with these figures should be provided to the complainant. The complainant shall also specify any other information and argument relied upon to attempt to establish that a rate, term, or condition is not just and reasonable.
(h) With respect to attachments within a duct or conduit system, where it is claimed that either a rate is unjust or unreasonable, or a term or condition is unjust or unreasonable and examination of such term or condition requires review of the associated rate, the complaint shall provide data and information in support of said claim.
(1) The data and information shall include, where applicable:
(i) The gross investment by the utility for conduit;
(ii) The accumulated depreciation from the gross conduit investment;
(iii) The system duct length or system conduit length and the method used to determine it;
(iv) The length of the conduit subject to the complaint;
(v) The number of ducts in the conduit subject to the complaint;
(vi) The number of inner-ducts in the duct occupied, if any. If there are no inner-ducts, the attachment is presumed to occupy one-half duct.
(vii) The annual carrying charges attributable to the cost of owning conduit. These charges may be expressed as a percentage of the net linear cost of a conduit. With its pleading, the utility shall file a copy of the latest decision of the state regulatory body or state court which determines the treatment of accumulated deferred taxes if it is at issue in the proceeding and shall note the section which specifically determines the treatment and amount of accumulated deferred taxes.
(viii) The rate of return authorized for the utility for intrastate service. With its pleading, the utility shall file a copy of the latest decision of the state regulatory body or state court which establishes this authorized rate of return if the rate of return is at issue in the proceeding and shall note the section which specifically establishes this authorized rate and whether the decision is subject to further proceedings before the state regulatory body or a court. In the absence of a state authorized rate of return, the rate of return set by the Commission for local exchange carriers shall be used as a default rate of return; and
(ix) Reimbursements received by utilities from CATV operators and telecommunications carriers for non-recurring costs.
(2) Data and information should be based upon historical or original cost methodology, insofar as possible. Data should be derived from ARMIS, FERC 1, or other reports filed with state or federal regulatory agencies (identify source). Calculations made in connection with these figures should be provided to the complainant. The complainant shall also specify any other information and argument relied upon to attempt to establish that a rate, term, or condition is not just and reasonable.
(i) With respect to rights-of-way, where it is claimed that either a rate is unjust or unreasonable, or a term or condition is unjust or unreasonable and examination of such term or condition requires review of the associated rate, the complaint shall provide data and information in support of said claim. The data and information shall include, where applicable, equivalent information as specified in paragraph (g) of this section.
(j) If any of the information and data required in paragraphs (g), (h) and (i) of this section is not provided to the cable television operator or telecommunications carrier by the utility upon reasonable request, the cable television operator or telecommunications carrier shall include a statement indicating the steps taken to obtain the information from the utility, including the dates of all requests. No complaint filed by a cable television operator or telecommunications carrier shall be dismissed where the utility has failed to provide the information required under paragraphs (g), (h) or (i) of this section, as applicable, after such reasonable request. A utility must supply a cable television operator or telecommunications carrier the information required in paragraph (g), (h) or (i) of this section, as applicable, along with the supporting pages from its ARMIS, FERC Form 1, or other report to a regulatory body, within 30 days of the request by the cable television operator or telecommunications carrier. The cable television operator or telecommunications carrier, in turn, shall submit these pages with its complaint. If the utility did not supply these pages to the cable television operator or telecommunications carrier in response to the information request, the utility shall supply this information in its response to the complaint.
(k) The complaint shall include a certification that the complainant has, in good faith, engaged or attempted to engage in executive-level discussions with the respondent to resolve the pole attachment dispute. Executive-level discussions are discussions among representatives of the parties who have sufficient authority to make binding decisions on behalf of the company they represent regarding the subject matter of the discussions. Such certification shall include a statement that, prior to the filing of the complaint, the complainant mailed a certified letter to the respondent outlining the allegations that form the basis of the complaint it anticipated filing with the Commission, inviting a response within a reasonable period of time, and offering to hold executive-level discussions regarding the dispute. A refusal by a respondent to engage in the discussions contemplated by this rule shall constitute an unreasonable practice under section 224 of the Act.
(l) Factual allegations shall be supported by affidavit of a person or persons with actual knowledge of the facts, and exhibits shall be verified by the person who prepares them.
(m) In a case where a cable television system operator or telecommunications carrier as defined in 47 U.S.C. 224(a)(5) claims that it has been denied access to a pole, duct, conduit or right-of-way despite a request made pursuant to section 47 U.S.C. 224(f), the complaint shall include the data and information necessary to support the claim, including:
(1) The reasons given for the denial of access to the utility's poles, ducts, conduits, or rights-of-way;
(2) The basis for the complainant's claim that the denial of access is unlawful;
(3) The remedy sought by the complainant;
(4) A copy of the written request to the utility for access to its poles, ducts, conduits, or rights-of-way; and
(5) A copy of the utility's response to the written request including all information given by the utility to support its denial of access. A complaint alleging unlawful denial of access will not be dismissed if the complainant is unable to obtain a utility's written response, or if the utility denies the complainant any other information needed to establish a prima facie case. [43 FR 36094, Aug. 15, 1978, as amended at 44 FR 31649, June 1, 1979; 45 FR 17014, Mar. 17, 1980; 52 FR 31770, Aug. 24, 1987; 61 FR 43025, Aug. 20, 1996; 61 FR 45619, Aug. 29, 1996; 63 FR 12025, Mar. 12, 1998; 65 FR 31282, May 17, 2000; 65 FR 34820, May 31, 2000; 76 FR 26638, May 9, 2011; 79 FR 73847, Dec. 12, 2014]