The Florida Senate

Each applicant for a certificate shall:

If the commission grants the requested certificate, any person who would be substantially affected by the requested certification may, within 21 days after the granting of such certificate, file a written objection requesting a proceeding pursuant to ss. 120.569 and 120.57. The commission may, on its own motion, institute a proceeding under ss. 120.569 and 120.57 to determine whether the grant of such certificate is in the public interest. The commission shall order such proceeding conducted in or near the territory applied for, if feasible. If any person requests a public hearing on the application, such hearing shall, if feasible, be held in or near the territory applied for, and the transcript of the public hearing and any material submitted at or prior to the hearing shall be considered part of the record of the application and any proceeding related to the application.

The commission may grant a certificate, in whole or in part or with modifications in the public interest, but in no event granting authority greater than that requested in the application or amendments thereto and noticed under subsection (1); or it may deny a certificate. The commission may grant certificates for proposed telecommunications companies, or for the extension of an existing telecommunications company, without regard to whether such companies will be in competition with or duplicate the local exchange services provided by any other telecommunications company. The commission may also grant a certificate for a proposed telecommunications company, or for the extension of an existing telecommunications company, which will be providing either competitive or duplicative pay telephone service pursuant to the provisions of s. 364.3375, or private line service by a certified alternative access vendor pursuant to s. 364.337(6). Pay telephone service shall include that telephone service using telephones that are capable of accepting payment by specie, paper money, or credit cards.

Except as provided in s. 364.33, revocation, suspension, transfer, or amendment of a certificate shall be subject to the provisions of this section; except that, when the commission initiates the action, the commission shall furnish notice to the appropriate local government and to the Public Counsel.