Wisconsin Legislature: PSC 160.09(3)(a)1.

(a) An eligible telecommunications carrier other than a federal-only ETC shall waive the charge for a custom calling service for a customer with a disability that meets all of the following:

1. Is certified under s. PSC 160.071 (1).

2. In the customer’s opinion, requires the custom calling service in order for the customer to receive service that is comparable to the essential service provided to other customers.

(b) The ETC shall receive reasonable reimbursement from the universal service fund for these services.

(6m) Second line charges.

(a) An eligible telecommunications carrier other than a federal-only ETC shall waive any intrastate nonrecurring charge or monthly rate for a second line for all of the following:

1. A hearing impaired customer who is able and chooses to use 2 line voice carryover.

2. A speech impaired customer who is able and chooses to use 2 line hearing carryover.

(b) If a customer requests a service that is equivalent to those listed in par. (a), the ETC shall waive the same amount it would waive under par. (a).

(7) Filing deadline. A provider may not receive reimbursement under subs. (4) to (6m) unless it files its reimbursement request with the fund administrator no later than April 1 of the year following the year during which the provider would have billed the charge to a customer. The provider may obtain an extension from commission staff for good cause.

History: Cr. Register, April, 1996, No. 484, eff. 5-1-96; cr. (1) (k) to (n) and (6) (b), renum. (6) to be (6) (a), am. (1) (a), to (c), (f), (j) and (3), Register, April, 2000, No. 532, eff. 5-1-00; correction in (1) (f) made under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 6., Stats., Register February 2011 No. 662; CR 13-068: am. (title), renum. (1) (title), (a) to (1m) (title), (am) and am., (1) (title), (a), (b) renum. from 160.07 (1), (2) and am., renum. (1) (b), (c) to (1m) (b), (c) and am. (b) 1., 4. to 6., (c), r. (1) (d), renum. (1) (e) to (k) to (1m) (e) to (k) and am., renum. (1) (L) to (1m) (L) 1. and am., renum. (1) (m), (n) to (1m) (m), (n) and am. (n), cr. (1m) (a), (L) 2., 3., r. (2), (3), renum. (4) (a) to (a) (intro.) and am., cr. (4) (a) 1., 2., (b), renum. (5) (a) to (a) (intro.) and am., cr. (5) (a) 1., 2., (b), renum. (6) (a) to (6) (a) (intro.) and am., cr. (6) (a) 1., 2., renum. (6) (b) to (6m) (a) (intro.) and am., cr. (6) (b), (6m) (a) 1., 2., (b), (c), (7) Register January 2016 No. 721, eff. 2-1-16; correction in numbering in (6m) (a) made under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 1., Stats., and corrections in (1) (c), (L) 2., (7) made under s. 35.17, Stats., Register January 2016 No. 721, eff. 2-1-16; correction in (1m) (L) 2. made under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 7., Stats., Register March 2025 No. 831.

PSC 160.075 Responsibility for pay telephone usability.

(1) In this section, “pay telephone usability” means the ability to use pay telephone equipment once it has been accessed by an individual.

(2) Pay telephone usability standards include signage, volume control, monitoring height, cord length, and text telephones.

(3) All pay telephone service providers are responsible for compliance with all federal and state standards regarding usability of their pay telephones by individuals with disabilities.

(4) This section does not create any new obligations for pay telephone usability beyond those imposed under federal, state laws or negate any obligation for pay telephone usability of other parties under the law.

(5) Information on how to report non-compliance or any other complaint under sub. (3) to the commission shall be posted at or on each pay telephone unit or bank of units.

History: Cr. Register, April, 1996, No. 484, eff. 5-1-96; am. (3), cr. (5), Register, April, 2000, No. 532, eff. 5-1-00.

PSC 160.08 Telecommunications customer assistance program. The commission may authorize individual telecommunications providers to establish telecommunications customer assistance programs that meet authorized goals and objectives for increasing or stabilizing subscription levels for non-optional, essential telecommunications service within its service territory or to address avoidance of disconnection or limitation of service to low-income households with payment problems. The customer assistance programs may allow a provider to not make available certain essential services, as defined in s. PSC 160.03 (2), in order to keep at least minimaltelecommunications service to certain low-income households with payment problems. The commission shall determine on a case-by-case basis whether or not a telecommunications customer assistance program may receive universal service fund monies.

History: Cr. Register, April, 1996, No. 484, eff. 5-1-96; am. Register, April, 2000, No. 532, eff. 5-1-00; CR 13-068: am. Register January 2016 No. 721, eff. 2-1-16.

PSC 160.09 High rate assistance credits.

(1) In this section, “median household income” means the estimated median household income per county published annually by the U.S. census bureau’s small area income and poverty estimate program.

Note: This may be found on the commission’s website at psc.wi.gov.

(1g) A full ETC shall provide high rate assistance credits to residential customers when the price of service exceeds levels set in this section.

(1r) A full ETC shall recalculate credits under this section whenever the fixed monthly charge for essential telecommunications service, as defined in s. PSC 160.03 (2), is changed, or when ordered to do so by the commission. If the recalculation results in a de minimis change, the ETC may request that the administrator of the division of business and communications services stay the requirement to increase or decrease the credit.

(2) Full eligible telecommunications carriers shall calculate credits as specified in sub. (4) utilizing the price of service determined under sub. (3).

(3) For purposes of calculating credits under sub. (4):

(a) If a full ETC offers essential services on a stand-alone basis, the price of service calculated under this paragraph for its stand-alone essential services shall be considered the price of service when calculating credits for all of the ETC’s offerings, whether provided on a stand-alone basis or as part of a bundle. The price of service for stand-alone essential services that is used to calculate credits under sub. (4) shall include all of the following charges and fees:

1. The in-state charges and fees for residential stand-alone essential services, including, as applicable, all of the following:

a. Police and fire protection fee.

b. State universal service fund assessment.

c. Remainder assessment.

d. Telecommunications utility trade practices assessment.

e. Federal universal service fund assessment.

2. Any 9-1-1 charges billed on the telephone bill.

3. The federal subscriber line charge.

4. The access recovery charge.

5. The charge, if any, for 120 local calls, excluding extended community calling calls.

6. The federal communications commission authorized charge for implementation of local number portability.

7. Other charges as approved by the commission.

(b) The price of service for residential stand-alone essential services does not include charges for items and services such as:

1. Data service.

2. Handsets, modems, or other customer premises equipment.

3. Caller identification.

4. Call waiting.

5. Texting.

6. Voicemail.

(c) If a full ETC only offers essential services bundled with other services, and not on a stand-alone basis, the price of service used to calculate credits under sub. (4) shall be the charges and fees for the service, minus the charge for optional items or services such as the following:

1. Handsets, modems, or other customer premises equipment.

2. Caller identification.

3. Call waiting.

4. Texting.

5. Voicemail.

(d) If a full ETC’s charge for bundled service includes a charge for data service, it is rebuttably presumed that the ETC’s customers are not eligible for high rate assistance for that bundled service. The ETC may rebut this presumption by showing that the charge for the bundled service minus the cost of providing data service totals an amount high enough to qualify the customer for high rate assistance. The commission may, upon complaint or if it has a reasonable basis to believe that a credit should be applied when it is not, require the ETC to provide the relevant cost information.

(4) Full eligible telecommunications carriers shall issue high rate assistance credits according to the following criteria:

(a) For the portion of the price of service below 1.2% of median household income, per month, for the area in which the rate applies, no credits apply.

(b) For the portion of the price of service equal to or above 1.2% but below 1.7% of median household income, per month, for the area in which the rate applies, a credit equal to 50% of that amount.

(c) For the portion of the price of service equal to or above 1.7% but below 2.2% of median household income, per month, for the area in which the rate applies, a credit equal to 75% of that amount.

(d) For the portion of the price of service equal to or above 2.2% but below 2.7% of median household income, per month, for the area in which the rate applies, a credit equal to 85% of that amount.

(e) For the portion of the price of service equal to or above 2.7% of median household income, per month, for the area in which the rate applies, a credit equal to 95% of that amount.

(f) When a rate applies in only one county, the median household income used to calculate the credit shall be that of that county in which the rate applies. When a rate applies in more than one county, the median household income used to compute the credit shall be the average of the median household incomes in each county in which the rate applies, weighted by the number of customers paying that rate in each county.

(g) If the amount of money required to reimburse full ETCs for credits under this section exceeds the amount budgeted for this program under s. PSC 160.17, the commission may modify the formula for high rate assistance credits.

(5) Except as provided in sub. (9), each full ETC may be reimbursed by the universal service fund for the value of the credits it issues if it files its reimbursement claims with the fund administrator by April 1 of the year following the year during which it issued the credit. The full ETC may obtain an extension of the filing deadline from commission staff for good cause.

(6) When a full ETC charges a pro-rated portion of the normal monthly charge for service because the customer has had service for only a portion of the month, the rate assistance credit for that customer shall be pro-rated by the same percentage.

(7) A full ETC shall show and identify the high rate assistance credits on bills issued to customers.

(9) Full ETCs may not be reimbursed by the universal service fund for the value of credits issued to customers receiving essential telecommunications service under a contract if the contract has a duration of greater than one year. The commission may grant waivers of this subsection by order. This subsection does not apply to rural line extension contracts entered into before January 1, 1996.

History: Cr. Register, April, 1996, No. 484, eff. 5-1-96; am. (1), (8) and (9), r. (2) (a), (b), (3) (f), (h) and (6), renum. (2) (c) to be (2) and am. (2), renum. (3) (a) to (e) to be (4) (a) to (e) and am. (4) (a) to (e), renum. (3) (g) to (4) (f) and am. (4) (f), renum. (3) (i) and (5) to be (4) (g) and (6), renum. (4) to be (5) and am. (5), renum. (8) to be (9) and am. (9), cr. (3), Register, April, 2000, No. 532, eff. 5-1-00; CR 13-068: renum. (1) to (1g) and am., cr. (1), (1r), am. (2), r. and recr. (3), am. (4) to (7), r. (8), am. (9) Register January 2016 No. 721, eff. 2-1-16; correction in (3) (d) made under s. 35.17, Stats., Register December 2018 No. 756.

PSC 160.092 Alternative universal service protection plans.

(1) After notice and opportunity for hearing the commission may, by order, implement one or more of the following plans:

(a) An alternative to the high rate assistance credit mechanism in s. PSC 160.09.

(b) A measure to ensure provision of intralata and interlata essential services.

(2) Alternative plans under this section shall be implemented on an experimental basis. These plans shall be reviewed within 3 years of inception and shall terminate within 5 years of inception, unless made permanent by commission order after notice and an opportunity for hearing.

(3) Alternative plans under this section may make use of cost studies, bidding, auctions, defined service territories or other mechanisms to protect universal service. The commission may, by order, authorize payment of universal service fund monies as part of an alternative plan.

History: Cr. Register, April, 1996, No. 484, eff. 5-1-96; CR 13-068: renum. (1) to (1) (a) and am., cr. (1) (intro.), (b), (c), am. (2), (3), r. (4) Register January 2016 No. 721, eff. 2-1-16; corrections in (2) made under ss. 13.92 (4) (b) 7. and 35.17, Stats., Register January 2016 No. 721.

PSC 160.115 Medical telecommunications equipment program.

(1) For purposes of this section:

(a) “Initial application” means the first application for universal service fund support under this section that an applicant files in a state fiscal year.

(b) “Non-profit medical clinic” includes any clinic or hospital that meets all of the following:

1. Is a non-profit organization governed by a board of directors.

2. Serves federally designated health professional shortage areas as defined in 42 USC 254e (a) (1), medically underserved areas, or medically underserved populations.

3. Does one or both of the following:

a. Provides services to all patients regardless of insurance status.

b. Uses a sliding fee scale for uninsured patients based on income status.

(c) “Public health agency” includes the department of health services, any local health department as defined in s. 250.01 (4), Stats., and any health care facility or program operated by a tribe or tribal organization under the Indian Self-Determination Act (25 USC 450f et seq.)

(2) The commission may grant funding to non-profit medical clinics and public health agencies for the purchase of telecommunications equipment for any of the following purposes:

(a) To promote technologically advanced medical services.

(b) To directly or indirectly enhance access to medical care in rural or underserved areas of the state, or both.