PSC 160.125 Funding to promote access to telecommunications services.
PSC 160.13 Designation of eligible telecommunications carriers.
PSC 160.14 Intralata toll service provider of last resort.
PSC 160.15 Identification of charges caused by universal service funding liability.
PSC 160.16 Fund administrator.
PSC 160.17 Fund budget and assessment rates.
PSC 160.18 Collection of universal service fund monies.
PSC 160.19 Universal service fund council.
PSC 160.01(1)(1)
Purpose. Chapter PSC 160 is designed to effectuate and implement s.
196.218, Stats., and parts of other sections of the Wisconsin statutes, authorizing the commission to establish a universal service fund and programs to further the goal of providing a basic set of essential telecommunications services and access to advanced service capabilities to all customers of the state.
PSC 160.01(2)(a)(a) The requirements of
ch. PSC 160 shall be observed by the telecommunications providers subject to the jurisdiction of the commission as indicated in this chapter, except insofar as any exemption may be made by the commission. Except as otherwise expressly provided by law, s.
196.218, Stats., and the requirements of this chapter apply to telecommunications providers certified under s.
196.203 (2), Stats.
PSC 160.01(2)(b)
(b) Nothing in this chapter shall preclude special and individual consideration being given to exceptional or unusual situations and upon due investigation of the facts and circumstances involved, the adoption of requirements as to individual providers or services that may be lesser, greater, other or different than those provided in this chapter.
PSC 160.01(3)
(3) Disputes. Disputes not resolved between the affected parties regarding assessment or support amounts or the eligibility to receive or the liability to pay under this chapter shall be referred to the commission for resolution.
PSC 160.01(4)
(4) Enforcement. The manner of enforcing
ch. PSC 160 is prescribed in ss.
196.218,
196.499 (17) and
196.66, Stats., and includes such other means as provided in statutory sections administered by the commission.
PSC 160.01(5)
(5) Orders. The commission may issue orders it deems necessary to assist in the implementation or interpretation of this chapter. Except for declaratory rulings under s.
227.41, Stats., which require the opportunity for a hearing, and commission determinations not subject to judicial review under ss.
227.52 and
227.53, Stats., orders shall be issued only after notice and an opportunity for comment by interested parties including the universal service fund council.
PSC 160.01 History
History:
Cr.
Register, April, 1996, No. 484, eff. 5-1-96; am. (2) (a) and (5),
Register, April, 2000, No. 532, eff. 5-1-00.
PSC 160.02
PSC 160.02
Definitions. The definitions in s.
196.01, Stats., apply in this chapter. In addition, in this chapter:
PSC 160.02(1g)
(1g) "Calculated charge" means the charge calculated by converting a per call charge into a per minute charge. The conversion to a per minute charge shall be accomplished by dividing the per call charge by the telecommunications provider's average residential call duration. If there are multiple per call charges within one local calling area, the weighted average shall be used as the per call charge.
PSC 160.02(1m)
(1m) "Contributory provider" means a telecommunications provider that pays monies to the universal service fund.
PSC 160.02(2)
(2) "Disability" means a physical or sensory impairment that limits or curtails an individual's access to or usage of telecommunications services. "Disability" includes a speech, vision or hearing impairment and motion impairments that limit an individual's ability to handle telecommunications equipment.
PSC 160.02(3)
(3) "Emergency service numbers" mean 9-1-1 where available and fire, emergency medical services, law enforcement, and poison center emergency numbers where 9-1-1 is not available.
PSC 160.02(4g)
(4g) "Federal high cost program" means any program established by the federal communications commission under
47 CFR 54 subpt. D.
PSC 160.02(4m)(a)
(a) Not-for-profit schools, which includes each school in a school district as defined by s.
115.01 (3), Stats., private schools as defined by s.
115.001 (3r), Stats., charter schools as defined by s.
118.40, Stats., colleges and universities as defined by s.
36.05 (13), Stats., and technical college districts as defined by s.
38.01 (5), Stats.
PSC 160.02(5)
(5) "Lifeline" means the program that provides reduced monthly service rates for low-income customers.
PSC 160.02(6)
(6) "Link-Up" means the program that waives service connection charges for low-income customers.
PSC 160.02(7)
(7) "Local exchange service provider" means any commercial mobile radio service provider that has been designated as an eligible telecommunications carrier under
s. PSC 160.13, or a telecommunications utility or any other provider of basic local exchange service or standard business lines and usage.
PSC 160.02(8)
(8) "Low-income" means a household that receives benefits from one or more of the following programs:
PSC 160.02(8)(h)
(h) As approved by the commission, other state or federally administered programs for households with income levels equal to or less than 200% of the poverty line as defined in
42 USC 9902 (2).
PSC 160.02(9)
(9) "Non-profit group" means an organization described in s. 501 (c) (3) of the internal revenue code that is exempt from federal income tax under s. 501 (a) of the internal revenue code.
PSC 160.02(10)
(10) "Nonrecurring charge" means the charge for those activities and materials necessary to connect network services to the customer's premises, up to and including the network interface device but not including customer premises wiring or customer premises equipment, and not including construction charges.
PSC 160.02(12)
(12) "Two line voice carryover" means the technique of using 3-way calling and 2 telephone lines, one for voice and one for TTY or similar equipment, to connect a caller who is deaf or hard of hearing but can speak, with another caller via the telecommunications relay service.
PSC 160.02(13)
(13) "Universal service" means a statewide rapid, efficient, communications network with adequate, economically placed facilities to assure that a basic set of essential telecommunications services is available to all persons in this state at affordable prices and that the advanced service capabilities of a modern telecommunications infrastructure are affordable and accessible to all areas of the state within a reasonable time.
PSC 160.02 History
History:
Cr.
Register, April, 1996, No. 484, eff. 5-1-96; renum. (1) and (4) to be (1m) and (4m) and am. (4m) (a), renum. (9) to be (13), cr. (1g), (4g), (8) (g), (h), (9) to (12), am. (7), (8) (a), (e),
Register, April, 2000, No. 532, eff. 5-1-00; correction in (8) (e) made under s. 13.93 (2m) (b) 7., Stats.,
Register April 2007 No. 616.
PSC 160.03
PSC 160.03
Essential telecommunications services. PSC 160.03(1)(1) Each local exchange service provider shall make available to all its customers at affordable prices all essential telecommunications services.
PSC 160.03(2)
(2) "Essential telecommunications services" means all the following:
PSC 160.03(2)(a)3.
3. Dual-tone multi-frequency touch tone and rotary pulse dialing operability.
PSC 160.03(2)(a)4.
4. Access to emergency services numbers and 9-1-1 operability where requested by local authorities.
PSC 160.03(2)(a)5.
5. Equal access to interlata interexchange carriers subject to federal communications commission orders and rules.
PSC 160.03(2)(a)6.
6. Equal access to intralata interexchange carriers pursuant to schedules, terms and conditions imposed by commission orders and rules.
PSC 160.03(2)(a)7.
7. Single party revertive calling, if 2 or more pieces of customer premises equipment can be simultaneously active on the line or channel being used by the customer.
PSC 160.03(2)(a)8.
8. A reasonably adequate number of calls within a reasonably adequate local calling area as defined by the commission.
PSC 160.03(2)(a)9.
9. Connectivity with all public toll, local, wireline and wireless networks, and with various internet service providers.
PSC 160.03(2)(a)10.
10. Telecommunications relay service to facilitate communication between teletypewriter users and non-teletypewriter users.
PSC 160.03(2)(a)13.
13. Toll blocking, 900 and 976 number blocking and extended community calling blocking options as specified in
s. PSC 160.04.
PSC 160.03(2)(a)14.
14. Intercept and announcements for vacant, changed, suspended and disconnected numbers in oral and TTY-readable formats.
PSC 160.03(2)(a)15.
15. A directory listing with the option for non-listed and non-published service.
PSC 160.03 History
History:
Cr.
Register, April, 1996, No. 484, eff. 5-1-96; am. (2) (a) 7. to 10., and 14., r., (2) (c), renum. (2) (d) to be (2) (c),
Register, April, 2000, No. 532, eff. 5-1-00; except (2) (a) 14. eff. 11-1-00.
PSC 160.031
PSC 160.031
Essential data transmission capability. PSC 160.031(1)(1) The data transmission capability specified in
s. PSC 160.03 shall be at least 9600 bits per second effective July 1, 1996.
PSC 160.031(2)
(2) For lines extending greater than 10,000 feet from the central office, this data transmission capability requirement shall be met under an implementation schedule to be set by the commission.
PSC 160.031 History
History:
Cr.
Register, April, 1996, No. 484, eff. 5-1-96; r. (3),
Register, April, 2000, No. 532, eff. 5-1-00.
PSC 160.035(1)(1) "Advanced service capabilities" means all the following:
PSC 160.035(1)(c)
(c) Two-way interactive video conferencing at a speed no less than 30 frames per second and two-way interactive imaging capabilities by January 1, 2003.
PSC 160.035(2)
(2) In the absence of alternative providers and in the presence of sufficient demand, or to promote economic development and infrastructure development, a local exchange service provider shall, by the date set by the commission, make available to any customer on request, in a timely manner, at affordable prices, any advanced service capabilities.
PSC 160.035(3)(a)(a) Upon its own motion, upon petition by a local exchange service provider for relief from an obligation in
sub. (2) or upon petition by a customer alleging that an advanced service is not available in a timely manner, is needed but not scheduled for deployment under this section, or is not priced at an affordable level, the commission may investigate the offering of a given advanced service capability.
PSC 160.035(3)(b)
(b) The investigation shall address, but is not limited to, the reasonableness of the required investment in equipment and facilities, the presence of alternative providers, level of demand, and other factors included in s.
196.03 (6), Stats. Following investigation, including notice and opportunity for hearing, the commission may determine, based on the above criteria, a deployment schedule, a maximum reasonable rate, whether the provider requires assistance from the universal service fund to provide the service, and any other requirement necessary to meet customer demand for an advanced service capability.
PSC 160.035 History
History:
Cr.
Register, April, 1996, No. 484, eff. 5-1-96; am. (1) (c), renum. (3) to be (3) (a) and am., cr. (3) (b),
Register, April, 2000, No. 532, eff. 5-1-00.
PSC 160.04(1)(1)
Blocking obligations. Every local exchange service provider in the state shall offer the capability to block all long distance calls and, separately, the capability to block 900 and 976 number calls and the capability to block extended community calling unless a timely waiver has been granted to the local exchange service provider by the commission.
PSC 160.04(2)
(2) Charges. Blocking shall be without monthly or nonrecurring charge to low-income customers and at no charge other than for second and subsequent service activation orders for other residential and standard business line customers.
PSC 160.04(3)
(3) Emergency service. Blocking shall not prevent the customer from reaching the emergency service numbers appropriate for the customer's location.
PSC 160.04(4)
(4) Public notification and education. A local exchange service provider shall make all reasonable efforts to inform customers within its service areas of the availability of, and eligibility requirements for cost-free toll blocking services, 900 and 976 number blocking services and extended community calling blocking services. The local exchange service provider shall also make reasonable efforts to instruct eligible customers requesting the service in use of the equipment or service.
PSC 160.04(5)
(5) Petition for waiver. A local exchange service provider seeking a waiver of its blocking obligations under this section shall submit to the commission the following information:
