Connecticut § 16-247e - Basic telecommunications services. Lifeline and telecommunications relay service programs. Universal service program.

§ 16-247e. Basic telecommunications services. Lifeline and telecommunications relay service programs. Universal service program.

Sec. 16-247e. Basic telecommunications services. Lifeline and telecommunications relay service programs. Universal service program. (a) In order to ensure the universal availability of affordable, high quality telecommunications services to all residents and businesses throughout the state regardless of income, disability or location, the authority shall (1) periodically investigate and determine, after notice and hearing, local service options, including the definition and components of any basic telecommunications services, necessary to achieve universal service and meet customer needs; and (2) establish lifeline and telecommunications relay service programs funded by all telecommunications carriers that provide intrastate telecommunications services, as such terms are defined in 47 USC 153, as amended from time to time, sufficient to provide low-income households or individuals or persons who are hard of hearing or speech impaired with a level of telecommunications service or package of telecommunications services that supports participation in the economy and society of the state. The authority shall apportion the funding for the lifeline and telecommunications relay service programs among telecommunications carriers on an equitable basis based on the gross revenues of each telecommunications carrier that are generated in Connecticut, both interstate and intrastate. The lifeline and telecommunications relay service programs shall be administered by an entity authorized, and subject to oversight, by the authority. The authority shall determine by order which customers qualify for the lifeline program. Recipients of lifeline funds shall use such funds to pay for telecommunications services provided by any telecommunications carrier.

(b) The authority may, if necessary, establish a universal service program, funded by all telecommunications companies or users in the state on an equitable basis, as determined by the authority, to ensure the universal availability of affordable, high quality basic telecommunications services to all residents and businesses throughout the state regardless of location. Any funds contributed to a universal service program shall be used to support the availability of basic telecommunications services provided by any telecommunications company in a manner to be determined by the authority.

(P.A. 85-187, S. 5, 15; P.A. 94-83, S. 5, 16; P.A. 97-121, S. 1, 2; P.A. 99-11, S. 1, 3; P.A. 11-80, S. 1; P.A. 17-202, S. 51; P.A. 18-48, S. 1.)

History: P.A. 94-83 entirely replaced previously existing language re telephone company rates and revenue requirement with new Subsec. (a) re basic service and lifeline program and new Subsec. (b) re universal service program, effective July 1, 1994; P.A. 97-121 amended Subsec. (a) to require telecommunications carriers that provide intrastate telecommunications services to fund lifeline program, based on their gross revenues and substituted “telecommunications carriers” for “telecommunications companies”, effective June 6, 1997; P.A. 99-11 amended Subsec. (a) by adding references to telecommunications relay service program and to speech and hearing impaired individuals, effective May 12, 1999; pursuant to P.A. 11-80, “department” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “authority”, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 17-202 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing “hearing impaired individuals” with “persons who are hard of hearing”; P.A. 18-48 amended Subsec. (a) by making a technical change, effective May 29, 2018.

Federal Communications Act does not preempt department from imposing universal service contribution assessments on commercial radio service providers; state assessment does not violate federal funding mechanisms solely because it taxes both interstate and intrastate revenues; court rejected claim that statute had disparate effect on certain commercial mobile radio service providers because complainant provided no evidence to show a discriminatory result. 253 C. 453.