Iowa Administrative Code › Agency 199 - Utilities Division › Utilities and Transportation Divisions › Chapter 39 - Universal Service › Rule 199-39.2 - Definition of Terms

Current through Register Vol. 47, No. 3, July 24, 2024
For the purposes of the commission's implementation of
				  federal universal service fund requirements, the following definitions apply.
				  Whenever a reference in this chapter is made to provisions found in 47 CFR Part
				  36, 51 or 54, that reference includes any amendment through February 20,
				  2019.
"Broadband service"
means the broadband
				  Internet access service designated by the Federal Communications Commission at
				   47 CFR §
										54.101  as eligible for support by the federal universal service
				  support mechanisms. Eligible broadband Internet access services must provide
				  the capability to transmit data and receive data by wire or radio from all or
				  substantially all Internet endpoints, including any capabilities that are
				  incidental to and enable the operation of the communications service, but
				  excluding dial-up service.
"Competitive eligible telecommunications
				  carrier"
means a carrier that meets the definition of an "eligible
				  telecommunications carrier" below and does not meet the definition of an
				  "incumbent local exchange carrier" in  47 CFR §
										51.5.
"Connect America fund"
or
"CAF"
means the federal universal service fund, as reformed by
				  the Federal Communications Commission, to phase down and replace support
				  previously provided through high-cost mechanisms, as referenced in  47 CFR §§
										54.304 and 54.312.
"Eligible telecommunications carrier"
or
"eligible carrier"
means a carrier designated by the
				  commission as eligible to receive universal service support pursuant to  47 U.S.C. §
										214(e).
"Facilities"
means any physical components
				  of the telecommunications network that are used in the transmission or routing
				  of the services designated for universal service fund support.
"High-cost program"
means the component of
				  the federal universal service fund that includes the following support
				  mechanisms: high-cost loop support, safety net support, safety valve support,
				  local switching support, interstate common line support, high-cost model
				  support, interstate access support, and the connect America fund, which
				  includes funding to support and advance networks that provide voice and
				  broadband services, both fixed and mobile.
"High-cost support"
means those support
				  mechanisms in existence as of October 1, 2011, specifically, high-cost loop
				  support, safety net additive support and safety valve support provided pursuant
				  to  47 CFR Part 36, Subpart F; local switching support pursuant to  47 CFR §
										54.301; forward-looking support pursuant to  47 CFR §
										54.309; interstate
				  access support pursuant to  47 CFR §§ 54.800 through 54.809 ;
				  interstate common line support pursuant to  47 CFR §§
										54.901 through 54.904; support provided pursuant to  47 CFR §§
										51.915, 51.917, and 54.304; support provided to competitive eligible telecommunications carriers as
				  set forth in  47 CFR §
										54.307(e); connect America fund support provided
				  pursuant to  47 CFR §
										54.312; mobility fund support provided pursuant to  47
				  CFR Part 54, Subpart L; and Rural Broadband Experiment support.
"Lifeline-only ETC"
means a
				  telecommunications carrier that seeks limited designation as an ETC only to
				  participate in the Lifeline program.
"Lifeline program"
means the federal
				  universal service program providing support for low-income consumers that is
				  defined in  47 CFR §
										54.401  to mean a nontransferable retail service
				  offering (1) for which qualifying low-income consumers pay reduced charges as a
				  result of application of the Lifeline support amount described in  47 CFR §
										54.403, and (2) which provides qualifying low-income consumers with voice
				  telephony service as defined in  47 CFR §
										54.101(a)  or broadband Internet
				  access service as defined in  47 CFR §
										54.400.
"Mobility fund"
means the wireless component
				  of the connect America fund which provides support for the extension of mobile
				  broadband networks in otherwise unserved areas.
"National Lifeline accountability database"
means the electronic system, with associated functions, processes, policies and
				  procedures, to facilitate the detection and elimination of duplicative support,
				  as directed by the Federal Communications Commission and as defined in  47 CFR §
										54.400.
"National Lifeline eligibility verifier,"
as
				  defined in  47 CFR §
										54.400(o), means the electronic and manual system that
				  facilitates the determination of consumer eligibility for the Lifeline
				  program.
"Qualifying low-income consumer"
means a
				  consumer who meets the qualifications for Lifeline as specified in  47 CFR §
										54.409.
"Services designated for support"
means
				  voice telephony service and broadband service.
"Tribal Link Up"
means an assistance program
				  for eligible residents of tribal lands seeking telecommunications service from
				  a telecommunications carrier that is receiving high-cost support on tribal
				  lands, that provides a reduction of the customary charge for commencing
				  telecommunications service for a single telecommunications connection at a
				  subscriber's principal place of residence and a deferred schedule of payments
				  of the customary charge for commencing telecommunications service as defined in
				   47 CFR §
										54.413(a).
"Voice telephony service"
means the service
				  designated by the Federal Communications Commission at  47 CFR §
										54.101  as
				  eligible for support by the federal universal service support mechanisms.
				  "Voice telephony service" is service which provides:
1. Voice grade access to the public switched
				network or its functional equivalent;
2. Minutes of use for local service at no
				additional charge to end users;
3.
				Access to the emergency services provided by local government or other public
				safety organizations, such as 911 and enhanced 911, to the extent the local
				government in an eligible carrier's service area has implemented 911 or
				enhanced 911 systems; and
4. Toll
				limitation services to qualifying low-income consumers as provided in  47 CFR
				Part 54, Subpart E.