Vermont § 7523 - Rate of charge [Subsection

§ 7523. Rate of charge [Subsection

• (a) effective until July 1, 2025; see also subsection (a) effective July
  1, 2025 set out below.] (a) Beginning on July 1, 2014, the rate of charge shall be two percent of retail telecommunications
  service. [Subsection (a) effective July 1, 2025; see also subsection (a) effective until July
  1, 2025 set out above.] (a)(1) Except as provided in subsection 7521(e) of this chapter, which pertains to prepaid
  wireless telecommunications service, and in subdivision (4) of this subsection, the
  monthly rate of charge shall be $0.72 for each retail access line in service. (2) The number of access lines a telecommunications service provider provides a customer
  shall be deemed equal to the number of inbound or outbound, whichever is greater,
  two-way communications by any technology that the customer can maintain at the same
  time as provisioned by the provider’s service. (3) As used in this section, “access line” means a wire or wireless connection that provides
  voice telecommunications service to or from any device used by a customer, regardless
  of technology, that is associated with a 10-digit NPA-NXX number or other unique identifier
  and with a service location or place of primary use in Vermont and that is capable
  of accessing the 911 system. (4) A customer enrolled in the federal Lifeline program or the Vermont Lifeline program,
  or both, is exempt from the Charge established by this chapter. [Subsection (b) effective until July 1, 2025; see also subsection (b) effective July
  1, 2025 set out below.] (b) Beginning on July 1, 2019, the rate of charge established under subsection (a) of
  this section shall be increased by four-tenths of one percent of retail telecommunications
  service, and the monies collected from this increase shall be transferred to the Vermont
  Community Broadband Fund established under section 8083 of this title, and up to $120,000.00 shall be used to fund a Rural Broadband Technical Assistance
  Specialist whose duties shall include providing outreach, technical assistance, and
  other support services to communications union districts established pursuant to chapter
  82 of this title and other units of government, nonprofit organizations, cooperatives,
  and for-profit businesses for the purpose of expanding broadband service to unserved
  and underserved locations. Support services also may include providing business model
  templates for various approaches, including formation of or partnership with a cooperative,
  a communications union district, a rural economic development infrastructure district,
  an electric utility, or a new or existing internet service provider as operator of
  the network. [Subsection (b) effective July 1, 2025; see also subsection (b) effective until July
  1, 2025 set out above.] (b) From the monies collected by the Universal Service Charge under this chapter, 17 percent
  shall be transferred to the Vermont Community Broadband Fund established under section 8083 of this title, and up to $120,000.00 shall be used to fund a Rural Broadband Technical Assistance
  Specialist whose duties shall include providing outreach, technical assistance, and
  other support services to communications union districts established pursuant to chapter
  82 of this title and other units of government, nonprofit organizations, cooperatives,
  and for- profit businesses for the purpose of expanding broadband service to unserved
  and underserved locations. Support services also may include providing business model
  templates for various approaches, including formation of or partnership with a cooperative,
  a communications union district, a rural economic development infrastructure district,
  an electric utility, or a new or existing internet service provider as operator of
  the network. (c) Universal Service Charges imposed and collected by the fiscal agent under this subchapter
  shall not be transferred to any other fund or used to support the cost of any activity
  other than in the manner authorized by this section and section 7511 of this title. (Added 1993, No. 197 (Adj. Sess.), § 5; amended 1995, No. 182 (Adj. Sess.), § 7, eff. May 22, 1996; 2005, No. 171 (Adj. Sess.), § 2; 2013, No. 190 (Adj. Sess.), § 7, eff. June 16, 2014; 2019, No. 79, § 2, eff. June 20, 2019; 2021, No. 71, § 7b, eff. June 8, 2021; 2023, No. 145 (Adj. Sess.), § 3, eff. July 1, 2025.)