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Access to Utility Service: 47 C.F.R. § 54.201 Definition of eligible telecommunications carriers, generally.

(a) Carriers eligible to receive support.

(1) Only eligible telecommunications carriers designated under this subpart shall receive universal service support distributed pursuant to subparts D and E of this part. Eligible telecommunications carriers designated under this subpart for purposes of receiving support only under subpart E of this part must provide Lifeline service directly to qualifying low-income consumers.

(2) [Reserved]

Access to Utility Service: 47 C.F.R. § 54.203 Designation of eligible telecommunications carriers for unserved areas.

(a) If no common carrier will provide the services that are supported by federal universal service support mechanisms under section 254(c) of the Act and subpart B of this part to an unserved community or any portion thereof that requests such service, the Commission, with respect to interstate services, or a state commission, with respect to intrastate services, shall determine which common carrier or carriers are best able to provide such service to the requesting unserved community or portion thereof and shall order such carrier or carriers to provi

Access to Utility Service: 47 C.F.R. § 54.205 Relinquishment of universal service.

(a) A state commission shall permit an eligible telecommunications carrier to relinquish its designation as such a carrier in any area served by more than one eligible telecommunications carrier. An eligible telecommunications carrier that seeks to relinquish its eligible telecommunications carrier designation for an area served by more than one eligible telecommunications carrier shall give advance notice to the state commission of such relinquishment.

Access to Utility Service: 47 C.F.R. § 54.207 Service areas.

(a) The term service area means a geographic area established by a state commission for the purpose of determining universal service obligations and support mechanisms. A service area defines the overall area for which the carrier shall receive support from federal universal service support mechanisms.

Access to Utility Service: Listing of Provisions, Source, and Authority

TITLE 47—TELECOMMUNICATION

CHAPTER I—FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

SUBCHAPTER B—COMMON CARRIER SERVICES

PART 54—UNIVERSAL SERVICE

SUBPART E—UNIVERSAL SERVICE SUPPORT FOR LOW-INCOME CONSUMERS

47 C.F.R. sec.

54.400 Terms and definitions.

54.401 Lifeline defined.

54.403 Lifeline support amount.

Access to Utility Service: 47 C.F.R. § 54.400 Terms and definitions.

As used in this subpart, the following terms shall be defined as follows:

(a) Qualifying low-income consumer. A “qualifying low-income consumer” is a consumer who meets the qualifications for Lifeline, as specified in § 54.409.

(b) Toll blocking service. “Toll blocking service” is a service provided by an eligible telecommunications carrier that lets subscribers elect not to allow the completion of outgoing toll calls from their telecommunications channel.

Access to Utility Service: 47 C.F.R. § 54.401 Lifeline defined.

(a) As used in this subpart, Lifeline means a non-transferable retail service offering provided directly to qualifying low-income consumers:

(1) For which qualifying low-income consumers pay reduced charges as a result of application of the Lifeline support amount described in § 54.403; and

Access to Utility Service: 47 C.F.R. § 54.407 Reimbursement for offering Lifeline.

(a) Universal Service support for providing Lifeline shall be provided directly to an eligible telecommunications carrier based on the number of actual qualifying low-income customers listed in the National Lifeline Accountability Database that the eligible telecommunications carrier serves directly as of the first of the month.

Access to Utility Service: 47 C.F.R. § 54.410 Subscriber eligibility determination and certification.

(a) All eligible telecommunications carriers must implement policies and procedures for ensuring that their Lifeline subscribers are eligible to receive Lifeline services. An eligible telecommunications carrier may not provide a consumer with an activated device that it represents enables use of Lifeline-supported service, nor may it activate service that it represents to be Lifeline service, unless and until it has:

Access to Utility Service: 47 C.F.R. § 54.412 Off reservation Tribal lands designation process.

(a) The Commission’s Wireline Competition Bureau and the Office of Native Affairs and Policy may, upon receipt of a request made in accordance with the requirements of this section, designate as Tribal lands, for the purposes of the Lifeline and Tribal Link Up program, areas or communities that fall outside the boundaries of existing Tribal lands but which maintain the same characteristics as lands identified as Tribal lands defined as in § 54.400(e).

Access to Utility Service: 47 C.F.R. § 54.413 Link Up for Tribal lands.

(a) Definition.3 For purposes of this subpart, the term “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, pursuant to subpart D of this part, that provides:

Access to Utility Service: 47 C.F.R. § 54.414 Reimbursement for Tribal Link Up.

(a) Eligible telecommunications carriers that are receiving high-cost support, pursuant to subpart D of this part, may receive universal service support reimbursement for the reduction in their customary charge for commencing telecommunications service and for providing a deferred schedule for payment of the customary charge for commencing telecommunications services for which the subscriber does not pay interest, in conformity with § 54.413.

Access to Utility Service: 47 C.F.R. § 54.417 Recordkeeping requirements.

(a) Eligible telecommunications carriers must maintain records to document compliance with all Commission and state requirements governing the Lifeline and Tribal Link Up program for the three full preceding calendar years and provide that documentation to the Commission or Administrator upon request.

Access to Utility Service: 47 C.F.R. § 54.419 Validity of electronic signatures.

(a) For the purposes of this subpart, an electronic signature, defined by the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act, as an electronic sound, symbol, or process, attached to or logically associated with a contract or other record and executed or adopted by a person with the intent to sign the record, has the same legal effect as a written signature.