Sec. 63.60  Definitions.

    For the purposes of this part, the following definitions shall 
apply:
    (a) Discontinuance, reduction, or impairment of service includes, 
but is not limited to the following:
    (1) The closure by a carrier of a telephone exchange rendering 
interstate or foreign telephone toll service, a public toll station 
serving a community or part of a community, or a public coast station as 
defined in Sec. 80.5 of this chapter;
    (2) The reduction in hours of service by a carrier at a telephone 
exchange rendering interstate or foreign telephone toll service, at any 
public toll station (except at a toll station at which the availability 
of service to the public during any specific hours is subject to the 
control of the agent or other persons controlling the premises on which 
such office or toll station is located and is not subject to the control 
of such carrier), or at a public

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coast station; the term reduction in hours of service does not include a 
shift in hours which does not result in any reduction in the number of 
hours of service.
    (3) [Reserved]
    (4) The dismantling or removal from service of any trunk line by a 
carrier which has the effect of impairing the adequacy or quality of 
service rendered to any community or part of a community;
    (5) The severance by a carrier of physical connection with another 
carrier (including connecting carriers as defined in section 3(u) of the 
Communications Act of 1934, as amended) or the termination or suspension 
of the interchange of traffic with such other carrier;
    (b) Emergency discontinuance, reduction, or impairment of service 
means any discontinuance, reduction, or impairment of the service of a 
carrier occasioned by conditions beyond the control of such carrier 
where the original service is not restored or comparable service is not 
established within a reasonable time. For the purpose of this part, a 
reasonable time shall be deemed to be a period not in excess of the 
following: 10 days in the case of discontinuance, reduction, or 
impairment of service at telegraph offices operated directly by the 
carrier; 15 days in the case of jointly-operated or agency telegraph 
offices; 10 days in the case of public coast stations; and 60 days in 
all other cases;
    (c) Public toll station means a public telephone station, located in 
a community, through which a carrier provides service to the public, and 
which is connected directly to a toll line operated by such carrier.

[ 28 FR 13229 , Dec. 5, 1963, as amended at  45 FR 6585 , Jan. 29, 1980;  51 FR 31305 , Sept. 2, 1986]