PSC 160.071(1m)(f)(f) Applicants for vouchers under this section shall be Wisconsin residents. An applicant may not receive a voucher for equipment for the same disability more than once every 3 years. An applicant may receive a voucher for equipment even if another person in the same household has also received a voucher. The fund administrator shall refer applications filed by low-income individuals in the categories under par. (b) 2., 5., and 6., to the Wisconsin department of health services for telecommunications assistance program funding to provide any customer co-payment required under par. (c). If the applicant is found eligible, the fund administrator may issue an alternative voucher to include that program’s funding. If found ineligible, the fund administrator shall process a voucher application in priority according to its original date of receipt. PSC 160.071(1m)(g)(g) The fund administrator shall grant applications on a first-come, first-served basis except no single disability classification described in par. (b) may be issued vouchers totaling more than 75% of the total annual budget within the first 3 quarters of the budget year. PSC 160.071(1m)(h)(h) The fund administrator shall establish a waiting list for applications held pending available funding or under par. (g). PSC 160.071(1m)(i)(i) The commission may establish new disability categories and voucher maximums if it identifies a need. PSC 160.071(1m)(j)(j) Vendors may redeem vouchers, submitted with an invoice, from the universal service fund administrator. A vendor may not receive reimbursement that exceeds the total purchase price of the equipment with tax less, where applicable, a customer co-payment of $100. The commission may, for good cause, suspend a vendor’s eligibility to redeem vouchers under this program. Suspended vendors may not receive reimbursement for vouchers submitted for purchases or customer orders made after the date of suspension. PSC 160.071(1m)(k)(k) Commission staff may impose reasonable limits on the types and quantities of devices that may be purchased with one voucher. PSC 160.071(1m)(L)1.1. The fund administrator shall maintain and make accessible, a list of the types and quantities of equipment eligible for purchase with a single voucher in each category under par. (b). Revisions to the list shall be done periodically by the fund administrator in consultation with the commission staff and representatives selected by the universal service fund council. The fund administrator and commission may solicit input regarding revisions from vendors, representatives of interested groups serving the disabled and others, as appropriate. PSC 160.071 NoteNote: The equipment list will be posted on the commission’s website (psc.wi.gov). A vendor may submit an e-mail address to the commission and request e-mail notification of whenever a revised list is posted.
PSC 160.071(1m)(L)2.2. The commission staff and fund administrator may include equipment that can be used to access the internet for telecommunications service on the list of equipment available to individuals in the categories under par. (b) 3. to 6. Internet access equipment includes a personal computing device and necessary software, but does not include customer premises wiring, telephone or cable access lines, or telecommunications services. PSC 160.071(1m)(L)3.3. Individuals requesting equipment under subd. 2. shall provide a medical professional’s statement to the fund administrator stating that the equipment is necessary to meet the telecommunications needs of that individual. PSC 160.071(1m)(m)(m) Equipment purchases involving individual exceptions to the eligible equipment lists under par. (L) may be granted by the fund administrator only following consultation with commission staff. Commission staff, the fund administrator, or both, may solicit input regarding such exceptions from vendors, representatives of interested groups serving the disabled and others, as appropriate. PSC 160.071(1m)(n)(n) Objections to items included on or excluded from the eligible equipment lists and determinations regarding individual exceptions shall be submitted to the commission in writing. The commission staff shall review the objection and issue a letter addressing it. Commission staff decisions may be appealed to the commission. PSC 160.071(4)(a)(a) An eligible telecommunications carrier other than a federal-only ETC shall waive the charge for a reasonable number of directory assistance calls in a month for a customer with a disability that meets all of the following: PSC 160.071(4)(b)(b) The ETC shall receive reasonable reimbursement from the universal service fund for these calls. PSC 160.071(5)(a)(a) An eligible telecommunications carrier other than a federal-only ETC shall waive the charge for operator assistance to place calls for a customer with a disability that meets all of the following: PSC 160.071(5)(a)2.2. 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. PSC 160.071(5)(b)(b) The ETC shall receive reasonable reimbursement from the universal service fund for these calls. PSC 160.071(6)(a)(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: PSC 160.071(6)(a)2.2. 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. PSC 160.071(6)(b)(b) The ETC shall receive reasonable reimbursement from the universal service fund for these services. PSC 160.071(6m)(a)(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: PSC 160.071(6m)(a)1.1. A hearing impaired customer who is able and chooses to use 2 line voice carryover. PSC 160.071(6m)(a)2.2. A speech impaired customer who is able and chooses to use 2 line hearing carryover. PSC 160.071(6m)(b)(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). PSC 160.071(6m)(c)(c) The ETC shall receive reasonable reimbursement from the universal service fund for the amount waived. PSC 160.071(7)(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. PSC 160.071 HistoryHistory: 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. PSC 160.075PSC 160.075 Responsibility for pay telephone usability. PSC 160.075(1)(1) In this section, “pay telephone usability” means the ability to use pay telephone equipment once it has been accessed by an individual. PSC 160.075(2)(2) Pay telephone usability standards include signage, volume control, monitoring height, cord length, and text telephones. PSC 160.075(3)(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. PSC 160.075(4)(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. PSC 160.075(5)(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. PSC 160.075 HistoryHistory: Cr. Register, April, 1996, No. 484, eff. 5-1-96; am. (3), cr. (5), Register, April, 2000, No. 532, eff. 5-1-00. PSC 160.08PSC 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. PSC 160.09PSC 160.09 High rate assistance credits. PSC 160.09(1)(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. PSC 160.09 NoteNote: This may be found on the commission’s website at psc.wi.gov.
PSC 160.09(1g)(1g) A full ETC shall provide high rate assistance credits to residential customers when the price of service exceeds levels set in this section. PSC 160.09(1r)(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. PSC 160.09(2)(2) Full eligible telecommunications carriers shall calculate credits as specified in sub. (4) utilizing the price of service determined under sub. (3). PSC 160.09(3)(a)(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: PSC 160.09(3)(a)1.1. The in-state charges and fees for residential stand-alone essential services, including, as applicable, all of the following: PSC 160.09(3)(a)5.5. The charge, if any, for 120 local calls, excluding extended community calling calls. PSC 160.09(3)(a)6.6. The federal communications commission authorized charge for implementation of local number portability. PSC 160.09(3)(b)(b) The price of service for residential stand-alone essential services does not include charges for items and services such as: PSC 160.09(3)(c)(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: PSC 160.09(3)(d)(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. PSC 160.09(4)(4) Full eligible telecommunications carriers shall issue high rate assistance credits according to the following criteria: PSC 160.09(4)(a)(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. PSC 160.09(4)(b)(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. PSC 160.09(4)(c)(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. PSC 160.09(4)(d)(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. PSC 160.09(4)(e)(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. PSC 160.09(4)(f)(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. PSC 160.09(4)(g)(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. PSC 160.09(5)(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. PSC 160.09(6)(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.
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