Providers that are exiting the Wisconsin market need to notify the Commission of that exit. The exact procedure varies slightly by type of provider, but all providers must:
identify themselves,
provide the effective date of market exit, and
verify that no customers will be adversely affected by the exit
Notification
That notification of market exit must include:
A clear identification of the company, including the company’s PSC Utility ID Number
A clear statement that the company is exiting the Wisconsin telecommunications market
The date on which the company stopped or will stop doing business in Wisconsin
A declaration that the company either 1) had no customers or 2) all customers were transferred to another company. If the latter, the notification needs to identify the other company and include a copy of the notice sent to customers informing them of the change or 3) that customers were notified of the provider’s intent to exit the marketplace and stop providing service, and that the notice sent complies with the requirements of Wisc. Admin. Code § ATCP 123.04. Provide a copy of the notice sent to customers.
Confirmation that the company has filed, or has made arrangements to file, their response to the Commission’s Annual Questionnaire covering the year in which they stopped doing business in Wisconsin. Since annual questionnaires cover the previous year’s activity, if a provider ended their operations in the middle of 2022, they would have to file the 2023 questionnaire, and pay assessments on their income for the portion of 2022 during which they were doing business.
Request for Voluntary Decertification
If the provider is certified as a Reseller, CLEC or other type of provider that received a formal Commission certification order, the provider should entitle their filing “Request for Voluntary Decertification” and upload it to the Electronic Records Filing (ERF) system as a new or non-docket, using the appropriate utility identification number, and choose “Application” as the document type. The application needs to include a notarized affidavit, signed by a corporate officer authorized to bind the petitioner, which verifies that all information provided in the petition is true and correct to the best of the officer’s knowledge or belief.
Notification of Market Exit
If the provider is registered with the Commission as a VoIP Provider, CMRS or other type of telecommunications provider not certified as a telecommunications utility by formal Commission order, the provider should entitle their filing “Notification of Market Exit” and upload it to the Electronic Records Filing (ERF) system as a new/non-docket, using the appropriate utility identification number, and choose “Correspondence” as the document type.
Questions or Comments
If you have questions or comments about decertification, or require assistance in drafting the appropriate notification of market exit, please contact Peter Jahn at (608)267-2338, or via email at
Peter.jahn@wisconsin.gov.
Questions about using the Electronic Records Filing System should be directed to the Records Management unit at (608) 261-8524 or via email at
PSCRecordsMail@wisconsin.gov.