Current through Reg. 50, No. 13; March 28, 2025
(a)
Purpose. The purpose of the Texas Universal Service Fund (TUSF) is to implement
a competitively neutral mechanism that enables all residents of the state to
obtain the basic telecommunications services needed to communicate with other
residents, businesses, and governmental entities. Because targeted financial
support may be needed in order to provide and price basic telecommunications
services in a manner to allow accessibility by consumers, the TUSF will assist
telecommunications providers in providing basic local telecommunications
service at reasonable rates in high cost rural areas. In addition, the TUSF
will reimburse qualifying entities for revenues lost as a result of providing
Lifeline services to qualifying low-income consumers under the Public Utility
Regulatory Act (PURA); reimburse telecommunications carriers providing
statewide telecommunications relay access service and qualified vendors
providing specialized telecommunications devices and services for the disabled;
and reimburse the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, the Texas
Department of Housing and Community Affairs, the Texas Department of Assistive
and Rehabilitative Services, the Office for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services,
the TUSF administrator, and the Public Utility Commission for costs incurred in
implementing the provisions of PURA Chapter 56 (relating to Telecommunications
Assistance and Universal Service Fund).
(b) Programs included in the TUSF.
(1) Section
26.403 of this title (relating to
the Texas High Cost Universal Service Plan (THCUSP));
(2) Section
26.404 of this title (relating to
the Small and Rural Incumbent Local Exchange Company (ILEC) Universal Service
Plan);
(3) Section
26.406 of this title (relating to
the Implementation of the Public Utility Regulatory Act
§56.025);
(4) Section
26.408 of this title (relating to
Additional Financial Assistance (AFA));
(5) Section
26.410 of this title (relating to
Universal Service Fund Reimbursement for Certain IntraLATA Service);
(6) Section
26.412 of this title (relating to
Lifeline Service Program);
(7)
Section 26.414 of this title (relating to
Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS));
(8) Section
26.415 of this title (relating to
Specialized Telecommunications Assistance Program (STAP));
(9) Section
26.417 of this title (relating to
Designation as Eligible Telecommunications Providers to Receive Texas Universal
Service Funds (TUSF));
(10) Section
26.418 of this title (relating to
Designation of Common Carriers as Eligible Telecommunications Carriers to
Receive Federal Universal Service Funds);
(11) Section
26.420 of this title (relating to
Administration of Texas Universal Service Fund (TUSF));
(12) Section
26.421 of this title (relating to
Designation of Eligible Telecommunications Providers to Provide Service to
Uncertificated Areas);
(13) Section
26.422 of this title (relating to
Subsequent Petitions for Service to Uncertificated Areas);
(14) Section
26.423 of this title (relating to
High Cost Universal Service Plan for Uncertificated Areas where an Eligible
Telecommunications Provider (ETP) Volunteers to Provide Basic Local
Telecommunications Service); and
(15) Section
26.424 of this title (relating to
Audio Newspaper Assistance Program).
(c) Support available to deregulated markets.
(1) An incumbent local exchange company may
not receive support from the universal service fund for a deregulated market
that has a population of at least 30,000.
(2) An incumbent local exchange company may
receive support from the universal service fund for a deregulated market that
has a population of less than 30,000 only if the company demonstrates to the
commission that the company needs the support to provide basic local
telecommunications service at reasonable rates in the affected market. A
company may use evidence from outside the affected market to make the
demonstration.
(3) An incumbent
local exchange company may make the demonstration described by paragraph (2) of
this subsection in relation to a market before submitting a petition to
deregulate the market.
