Ariz. Admin. Code § 14-2-A1206

Current through Register Vol. 30, No. 25, June 21, 2024

Section R14-2-A1206 - Implementation

A. Any provider of telecommunications service may file either an AUSF tariff or price list, if appropriate, establishing a flow-through mechanism to collect the surcharge approved by the Commission and calculated by the Administrator.

B. On or before the 20th day of each month, each Category 1 service provider responsible for collecting AUSF surcharges shall remit to the Administrator the AUSF surcharge, including any surcharge on wireless providers, collected by that provider during the preceding month. The Category 1 provider shall submit such documentation of AUSF revenues from the AUSF surcharge as may be required by the Administrator.

C. On or before the 20th day of each month, each Category 2 service provider responsible for collecting AUSF surcharges shall remit to the Administrator the AUSF surcharge collected by that provider during the third preceding month. The Category 2 provider shall submit such documentation of AUSF revenues from the AUSF surcharge as may be required by the Administrator.

D. Eligible recipients of AUSF support are:

1. Providers of telecommunications service engaged in providing basic local exchange telephone service in Arizona which have obtained a Commission order authorizing payments from the AUSF; and

2. Providers that become entitled to AUSF support based upon the provisions of R14-2-1206(E).

E. If the Commission approves AUSF support to a provider of telecommunications service for a defined area, such AUSF support shall also be available to competitive providers of basic local exchange service in the same defined area that are contributing to the AUSF, and that are willing to provide service to all customers in the specific AUSF support area as defined by the Commission. The AUSF support to which the competitive provider is eligible shall be calculated on a per- customer basis, at the same level at which the incumbent provider of telecommunications service receives AUSF support, and shall not result in an increase in the total AUSF support available for the specific census block groups or study area. If basic exchange service is provided through the resale of another carrier's local loop facilities, AUSF support will only be available to the retail service provider if AUSF support is not included in the wholesale price for the resold local service. This Section shall not apply to small local exchange carriers nor to the universal service support being received by any telecommunications service provider as of the effective date of this Article.

F. For small local exchange carriers and for any basic local exchange telephone service provider receiving universal service support as of the effective date of this Article, the AUSF support shall not be available to competitive providers of basic local exchange service prior to completion of the review provided for in R14-2-1216. Following completion of the review, AUSF support provided to small and intermediate local exchange carriers shall be available to all competitive providers of basic local exchange service in the same defined area that are contributing to AUSF, and that are willing to provide service to all customers in the specific geographic study area as defined by the Commission, unless otherwise ordered by the Commission.

G. Defined area, study area, geographic area, and support area mean the same area during the first three years of the effective date of this Article. After the first three years, they will still have the same meaning unless otherwise ordered by the Commission.

Ariz. Admin. Code § R14-2-A1206

Renumbered from R14-2-1206 amended by final rulemaking at 23 A.A.R. 2822, effective 9/20/2017.