Consumer Telecommunications and Ratepayer Protection Act of 1983

[AI summary unavailable — showing source text] Consumer Telecommunications and Ratepayer Protection Act of 1983 - Declares that the decisions and orders of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in C.C. docket numbered 78-72 (relating exchange access charges) shall not have effect before January 1, 1986. Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to direct the FCC to establish a system of charges to compensate exchange common carriers for exchange access and to change the system of jurisdictional separation of property and expenses in force on the date of the enactment of this Act. Sets forth the purposes of such system of charges. Directs the FCC to ascertain and apportion, by regulation, the costs incurred by exchange carriers to provide exchange access. Requires such regulation to provide for the ascertainment and apportionment of the costs of exchange access between exchange (local) service and interexchange (long distance) service in a manner that ensures the universal availability of basic communications service at reasonable rates. Directs the FCC, in ascertaining and apportioning the costs of exchange access, to ensure that the costs of nontraffic-sensitive facilities used to provide exchange access are allocated to int…