<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta charset="UTF-8" /><title></title><meta name="Generator" content="PowerTools for Open XML" /><style>p.s2a319490-8749-43cd-bdc1-849a213cd421P0 { margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0; margin-left: 0; margin-right: 0; text-indent: 0.00in; text-align: justify; background: white; font-family: Times; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 108%; } span.s2a319490-8749-43cd-bdc1-849a213cd421C0 { color: black; background: white; font-family: Times; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0; padding: 0; } span.s2a319490-8749-43cd-bdc1-849a213cd421C0-000000 { color: #0000FF; background: white; font-family: Times; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; } span.s2a319490-8749-43cd-bdc1-849a213cd421C0-000001 { color: black; background: white; font-family: Times; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; } span.s2a319490-8749-43cd-bdc1-849a213cd421000002 { 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span.s2a319490-8749-43cd-bdc1-849a213cd421C0-000006 { color: #0000FF; background: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0; padding: 0; } </style></head><body><div><p dir="ltr" class="s2a319490-8749-43cd-bdc1-849a213cd421P0"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;" xml:space="preserve" class="s2a319490-8749-43cd-bdc1-849a213cd421C0">    </span><a href="https://sdlegislature.gov/Rules?Rule=20:10:32:42"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;" class="s2a319490-8749-43cd-bdc1-849a213cd421C0-000000">20:10:32:42</span></a><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;" xml:space="preserve" class="s2a319490-8749-43cd-bdc1-849a213cd421C0-000001">.  Designation of eligible telecommunications carriers. </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;" class="s2a319490-8749-43cd-bdc1-849a213cd421C0">The commission</span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;" class="s2a319490-8749-43cd-bdc1-849a213cd421C0">,</span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;" xml:space="preserve" class="s2a319490-8749-43cd-bdc1-849a213cd421C0"> on its own motion or upon request</span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;" class="s2a319490-8749-43cd-bdc1-849a213cd421C0">,</span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;" xml:space="preserve" class="s2a319490-8749-43cd-bdc1-849a213cd421C0"> shall designate a telecommunications company </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;" class="s2a319490-8749-43cd-bdc1-849a213cd421C0">that</span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;" xml:space="preserve" class="s2a319490-8749-43cd-bdc1-849a213cd421C0"> meets the requirements of 47 C.F.R § 54.201 (January 1, 2006) to serve as an eligible telecommunications carrier within each service area of the state.</span></p><p dir="ltr" class="s2a319490-8749-43cd-bdc1-849a213cd421P0"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;" xml:space="preserve" class="s2a319490-8749-43cd-bdc1-849a213cd421000002"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" class="s2a319490-8749-43cd-bdc1-849a213cd421P0"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;" xml:space="preserve" class="s2a319490-8749-43cd-bdc1-849a213cd421C0">    </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;" class="s2a319490-8749-43cd-bdc1-849a213cd421C0">Upon request and consistent with the public interest, convenience, and necessity, the commission may, in an area served by a rural telephone company, and shall, in all other areas, designate more than one telecommunications company as an eligible telecommunications carrier for a service area designated by the commission, so long as each additional requesting carrier meets the requirements of 47 C.F.R. § 54.201 (January 1, 2006).</span></p><p dir="ltr" class="s2a319490-8749-43cd-bdc1-849a213cd421P0"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;" xml:space="preserve" class="s2a319490-8749-43cd-bdc1-849a213cd421000002"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" class="s2a319490-8749-43cd-bdc1-849a213cd421P0"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;" xml:space="preserve" class="s2a319490-8749-43cd-bdc1-849a213cd421C0">    </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;" xml:space="preserve" class="s2a319490-8749-43cd-bdc1-849a213cd421C0">The commission may not, in an area served by a rural telephone company, designate more than one eligible telecommunications carrier absent a finding that designation </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;" xml:space="preserve" class="s2a319490-8749-43cd-bdc1-849a213cd421C0">of an additional eligible telecommunications carrier </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;" xml:space="preserve" class="s2a319490-8749-43cd-bdc1-849a213cd421C0">is in the public interest. </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;" xml:space="preserve" class="s2a319490-8749-43cd-bdc1-849a213cd421C0">In </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;" xml:space="preserve" class="s2a319490-8749-43cd-bdc1-849a213cd421C0">an area served by a rural telephone company, the commission may not find </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;" class="s2a319490-8749-43cd-bdc1-849a213cd421C0">the additional designation</span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;" xml:space="preserve" class="s2a319490-8749-43cd-bdc1-849a213cd421C0"> to be in the public interest if the telecommunications company requesting </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;" class="s2a319490-8749-43cd-bdc1-849a213cd421C0">the</span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;" xml:space="preserve" class="s2a319490-8749-43cd-bdc1-849a213cd421C0"> designation </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;" class="s2a319490-8749-43cd-bdc1-849a213cd421C0">does not offer</span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;" xml:space="preserve" class="s2a319490-8749-43cd-bdc1-849a213cd421C0"> its services coextensive</span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;" class="s2a319490-8749-43cd-bdc1-849a213cd421C0">ly</span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;" xml:space="preserve" class="s2a319490-8749-43cd-bdc1-849a213cd421C0"> with the rural telephone company s service area.</span></p><p dir="ltr" class="s2a319490-8749-43cd-bdc1-849a213cd421P0"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;" xml:space="preserve" class="s2a319490-8749-43cd-bdc1-849a213cd421000002"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" class="s2a319490-8749-43cd-bdc1-849a213cd421P0"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;" xml:space="preserve" class="s2a319490-8749-43cd-bdc1-849a213cd421C0">    </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;" class="s2a319490-8749-43cd-bdc1-849a213cd421C0-000001">Source:</span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;" xml:space="preserve" class="s2a319490-8749-43cd-bdc1-849a213cd421C0"> 25 SDR 89, effective December 27, 1998; 32 SDR 231, effective July 10, 2006</span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;" class="s2a319490-8749-43cd-bdc1-849a213cd421C0">; 52 SDR 32, effective September 29, 2025</span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;" class="s2a319490-8749-43cd-bdc1-849a213cd421C0">.</span></p><p dir="ltr" class="s2a319490-8749-43cd-bdc1-849a213cd421P0"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;" xml:space="preserve" class="s2a319490-8749-43cd-bdc1-849a213cd421C0">    </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;" xml:space="preserve" class="s2a319490-8749-43cd-bdc1-849a213cd421C0-000001">General Authority: </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;" xml:space="preserve" class="s2a319490-8749-43cd-bdc1-849a213cd421C0">SDCL </span><a href="https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes?Statute=49-31-76"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;" class="s2a319490-8749-43cd-bdc1-849a213cd421C0-000003">49-31-76</span></a><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;" class="s2a319490-8749-43cd-bdc1-849a213cd421C0">.</span></p><p dir="ltr" class="s2a319490-8749-43cd-bdc1-849a213cd421P1"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;" xml:space="preserve" class="s2a319490-8749-43cd-bdc1-849a213cd421C0-000004">    </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;" class="s2a319490-8749-43cd-bdc1-849a213cd421C0-000005">Law Implemented:</span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;" xml:space="preserve" class="s2a319490-8749-43cd-bdc1-849a213cd421C0-000004"> SDCL </span><a href="https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes?Statute=49-31-3"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;" class="s2a319490-8749-43cd-bdc1-849a213cd421C0-000006">49-31-3</span></a><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;" class="s2a319490-8749-43cd-bdc1-849a213cd421C0-000004">,</span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;" xml:space="preserve" class="s2a319490-8749-43cd-bdc1-849a213cd421C0-000005"> </span><a href="https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes?Statute=49-31-76"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;" class="s2a319490-8749-43cd-bdc1-849a213cd421C0-000006">49-31-76</span></a><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;" xml:space="preserve" class="s2a319490-8749-43cd-bdc1-849a213cd421C0-000004">, </span><a href="https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes?Statute=49-31-78"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;" class="s2a319490-8749-43cd-bdc1-849a213cd421C0-000006">49-31-78</span></a><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;" class="s2a319490-8749-43cd-bdc1-849a213cd421C0-000004">.</span></p><p dir="ltr" class="s2a319490-8749-43cd-bdc1-849a213cd421P1"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;" xml:space="preserve" class="s2a319490-8749-43cd-bdc1-849a213cd421000002"> </span></p></div></body></html>