Code of Maine Rules › 65 - DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION › 407 - PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION › Chapter 288 - MAINE UNIVERSAL SERVICE FUND › Section 407-288-5 - ASSESSMENT

Current through 2024-29, July 17, 2024
A.
Required Contributions
Beginning with the calendar quarter which starts on October
				  1, 2019, each of the following voice network service providers who provide
				  service to end-user retail customers in Maine shall report the number of its
				  Lines or the number of its Working Telephone Numbers assigned to customers
				  located in Maine and shall contribute to the MUSF under the provisions
				  contained in Subsection B of this Section: Local Exchange Carriers,
				  Interconnected Voice over Internet Protocol Service Providers, and Mobile
				  Telecommunications Service Providers.
Prior to January 1, 2020, local exchange carriers,
				  interconnected voice over Internet protocol service providers, and mobile
				  telecommunications service providers shall continue to make contributions to
				  the Fund using the procedures in place on December 1, 2018.
B.
Reporting and Remittance
1.
Local Exchange Carriers
Subject to the limitation provided by Subsection 5(B)(4) of
				  this Chapter, within thirty days after the end of each calendar quarter, each
				  local exchange carrier shall report to the Fund Administrator on forms provided
				  by the Fund Administrator the number of its active residential and business
				  Lines or Working Telephone Numbers, including those assigned to Centrex and PBX
				  lines, that were providing voice telephone service in Maine at the end of each
				  month of the preceding quarter.
2.
Providers of Interconnected VoIP
				Service
Subject to the limitation provided by Subsection 5(B)(4) of
				  this Chapter, within thirty days after the end of each calendar quarter, each
				  provider of interconnected VoIP service shall report to the Fund Administrator
				  on forms provided by the Fund Administrator the number, at the end of each
				  month of the preceding calendar quarter, of its active interconnected VoIP
				  Lines or Working Telephone Numbers that had a registered location within Maine.
				  Providers of interconnected VoIP service must adhere to the requirements of
				  47
				  C.F.R. §
												9.5(d).
3.
Providers of Mobile
				Telecommunications Services
Subject to the limitation provided by Subsection 5(B)(4) of
				  this Chapter, within thirty days after the end of each calendar quarter, each
				  provider of mobile telecommunications services, except for prepaid wireless
				  providers, shall report to the Fund Administrator on forms provided by the Fund
				  Administrator for the end of each month of the preceding quarter the number of
				  its Lines or Working Telephone Numbers assigned to mobile telecommunications
				  end-user customers whose place of primary use was in Maine.
4.
Limitation on Reporting by Billing
				Account Number
For the purposes of Subsections 5(B)(1), (2), and (3) of this
				  Chapter, the reporting voice network service provider shall not report more
				  than twenty-five Lines or Working Telephone Numbers per active Billing Account
				  Number.
5.
Contribution Calculation and Remittance
Within twenty days after the end of each calendar quarter,
				  each voice network service provider that must report its Lines or Working
				  Telephone Numbers to the Fund Administrator, using the forms and instructions
				  promulgated by the Fund Administrator and under the provisions of Subsections
				  B(1), (2), or (3) of this Section, subject to the limitation provided by
				  Subsection B(4), of this Section, shall calculate its required contribution to
				  the MUSF by multiplying the number of Lines or Working Telephone Numbers
				  reported for each month by the Contribution Amount established by the
				  Commission under the provisions of Subsection
				  4(B) of this Chapter.
				  The voice network service provider must remit its required contribution to the
				  Fund Administrator under procedures established by the Fund Administrator at
				  the time it files its required report for each quarter.
6.
Confidentiality
For the purposes of this Chapter, the counts of Lines or
				  Working Telephone Numbers that must be reported to the Fund Administrator
				  pursuant to the provisions of Subsections 5(B)(1), (2), or (3) of this Chapter
				  will be considered Confidential Business Information, pursuant to the
				  provisions of
				  35-A M.R.S.
				  §1311-A(1).
7.
Calculation of Prepaid Wireless Fee
				Percentage
For the purposes of calculating the Prepaid Wireless Fee
				  (PWF) percentage pursuant to
				  35-A M.R.S.
				  §7104(3-A), the
				  Contribution Amount determined pursuant to Subsection
				  4(B) of this Chapter
				  shall be divided by twenty-five dollars. The resulting percentage shall be used
				  to calculate the amount of MUSF included in the PWF.