Section 285 Of Chapter 1.5. Advisory Boards From California Public Utilities Code >> Division 1. >> Part 1. >> Chapter 1.5.
285
. (a) As used in this section, "interconnected Voice over
Internet Protocol (VoIP) service" has the same meaning as in Section
9.3 of Title 47 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
(b) The Legislature finds and declares that the sole purpose of
this section is to require the commission to impose the surcharges
pursuant to this section to ensure that end-use customers of
interconnected VoIP service providers contribute to the funds
enumerated in this section, and, therefore, this section does not
indicate the intent of the Legislature with respect to any other
purpose.
(c) The commission shall require interconnected VoIP service
providers to collect and remit surcharges on their California
intrastate revenues in support of the following public purpose
program funds:
(1) California High-Cost Fund-A Administrative Committee Fund
under Section 275.
(2) California High-Cost Fund-B Administrative Committee Fund
under Section 276.
(3) Universal Lifeline Telephone Service Trust Administrative
Committee Fund under Section 277.
(4) Deaf and Disabled Telecommunications Program Administrative
Committee Fund under Section 278.
(5) California Teleconnect Fund Administrative Committee Fund
under Section 280.
(6) California Advanced Services Fund under Section 281.
(d) The authority to impose a surcharge pursuant to this section
applies only to a surcharge imposed on end-use customers for
interconnected VoIP service provided to an end-use customer's place
of primary use that is located within California. As used in this
subdivision, "place of primary use" means the street address where
the end-use customer's use of interconnected VoIP service primarily
occurs, or a reasonable proxy as determined by the interconnected
VoIP service provider, such as the customer's registered location for
911 purposes.
(e) (1) For the purposes of determining what revenues are subject
to a surcharge imposed pursuant to this section, an interconnected
VoIP service provider may use any of the following methodologies to
identify intrastate revenues:
(A) The inverse of the interstate safe harbor percentage
established by the Federal Communications Commission for
interconnected VoIP service for federal universal service
contribution purposes, as these percentages may be revised from time
to time.
(B) A traffic study specific to the interconnected VoIP service
provider allocating revenues between the federal and state
jurisdictions.
(C) Another means of accurately apportioning interconnected VoIP
service between federal and state jurisdictions.
(2) The methodology chosen pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be
consistent with the revenue allocation methodology the provider uses
to determine its federal universal service contribution obligations.
(3) It is the intent of the Legislature that a traffic study
described in subparagraph (B) of paragraph (1) is excluded from
public inspection pursuant to Public Utilities Commission General
Order 66-C, because the disclosure of these studies would place the
provider at an unfair business disadvantage.