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Communications Division

RESOLUTION T-17202

Consumer Programs Branch

April 16, 2009

RESOLUTION T-17202 REVISES GENERAL ORDER 153 TO REFLECT ADMINISTRATIVE REVISIONS TO THE CALIFORNIA LIFELINE TELEPHONE PROGRAM

Universal LifeLine Telephone Service is composed of the service elements set forth below. All LifeLine customers are entitled to receive every one of the service elements of LifeLine, and every utility is required to offer all of the service elements of LifeLine to each of its LifeLine customers. The service elements of LifeLine are as follows:

*Claimed amounts should be net of the subsidies, if any, which the LifeLine provider expects to receive from the federal Lifeline and Link-up programs.

PROPER ASSESSMENT AND BILLING OF SURCHARGES/SURCREDITS, TAXES, AND FEES

   
         
 

Assess on LifeLine services billed to LifeLine customers

Assess on LifeLine services billed to federal programs

Assess on LifeLine services billed to LifeLine Fund *

Assess on Other Elements

ILEC's Bill & Keep / Rate Case Surcharge / Surcredit

Yes - Paid by Customers

Yes - Paid by LifeLine

Yes - Paid by LifeLine

None

Public Programs Surcharges **

No

No

No

None

PUC User Fee

Yes - Paid by Customers

Yes - Paid by LifeLine

Yes - Paid by LifeLine

ILEC's Bill & Keep/Rate Case Surcharge/Surcredit - Paid by LifeLine

Federal Excise Tax

Yes, except for new service connection charges - Paid by Customers

Yes, except for new service connection charges - Paid by LifeLine

Yes, except for new service connection charges - Paid by LifeLine

EUCL, ILEC's Bill & Keep/Rate Case Surcharge/Surcredit, PUC User Fee, and City & Local Taxes - Paid by LifeLine

911 Tax

No

No

No

None

City & Local Taxes

If LifeLine services are not exempted - Paid by Customers

If LifeLine services are not exempted - Paid by LifeLine

If LifeLine services are not exempted - Paid by LifeLine

None

* LifeLine services billed to the LifeLine Fund include (i) LifeLine connection charges, (ii) LifeLine conversion charges, (iii) discounted monthly rates for local service, and (iv) untimed local calls.

** Public Program Surcharges include California High-Cost Fund-A, California High-Cost Fund-B, California Relay Service and Communications Device Fund, California Teleconnect Fund, and Universal LifeLine Telephone Service.

Carriers should report and bill the LifeLine Fund for items identified as "Paid by LifeLine".

Workpapers for Lost Revenues Reported in Line 1 thru 12 of the Claim Form

(Col A)

(Col B)

(Col C)

(Col D)

(Col E)

(Col F)

(Col G)

(Col H)

(Col I)

(Col J)

For Period _____________________

         

Claim Form Line #

Service Description

ILEC Territory

ILEC's Tariffed Rate Charge

Lower of Utility or ILEC's Rate

Quantity

Total Expected Revenue

Amount Billed to LifeLine Customers

Amount Billed to Federal USF

Amount Billed to Fund

                   

1

Connection Charges

               
 

True-up*

               
 

TOTAL LINE 1

               

2

Conversion Charges

               
 

True-up*

               
 

TOTAL LINE 2

               

3

(Measured Service)

               
 

True-up*

               
 

TOTAL LINE 3

               

4

Untimed Calls

               
 

True-up*

               
 

TOTAL LINE 4

               

5

Flat Rate Charges

               
 

True-up*

               
 

TOTAL LINE 5

               

6

EUCL Charge

               
 

True-up*

               
 

TOTAL LINE 6

               

7

Connection Charges (Disabled 1st & 2nd)

               
 

True-up*

               
 

TOTAL LINE 7

               

8

Conversion Charges (Disabled 1st & 2nd)

               
 

True-up*

               
 

TOTAL LINE 8

               

9

Measured Services (Dis 1st & 2nd)

               
 

True-up*

               
 

TOTAL LINE 9

               

10

Measured Services (Dis 1st & 2nd)

               
 

True-up*

               
 

TOTAL LINE 10

               

11

Flat Rate Svcs (Dis 1st & 2nd)

               
 

True-up*

               
 

TOTAL LINE 11

               

12

EUCL Charge

               
 

(Dis 1st & 2nd)

               
 

True-up*

               
 

TOTAL LINE 12

               
 

               
 

GRAND TOTAL

               

Workpapers for Lost Revenues Reported in Lines 16-22 and 26-30 of the Claim Form

 

(Col A)

(Col B)

(Col C)

(Col D)

(Col E)

(Col F)

Row 1

Claim Form Line #

Cost Description

Direct Labor

Direct Material

Equipment or Depreciation Expense

Overhead Indirect or Shared Costs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

· The implementation costs for any line-item (Col A) may include methods and procedures development, training, special customer notification, system revision, etc.

· Carrier shall state whether the implementation costs are for one-time only or for a period of months with an estimated completion date.

· Utilities shall provide copies of invoices for any fess paid to third-party vendors, e.g., Direct Materials, Equipment, Direct Labor, etc.

· Utilities shall provide a description for internal Direct Labor cost, for example, three programmers working on billing system, totaling 200 hours.

Workpapers for the recovery of bad debt costs in Line 23 of the Claim Form

 

(Col A)

(Col B)

(Col C)

(Col D)

(Col E)

(Col F)

(Col G)

(Col H)

(Col I)

Row 1

Claim Form Line #

Customer Info (Name, Tel. #, Address)

CertA Approval Date

Customer LifeLine Balance owed

Customer Service Disconnect Date

Bad Debts claim based on the lowest amount using either method below

Repayment of Previously Claimed Bad Debts

LifeLine Bad Debt billed or credit to Fund

Amount of Deposit

Actual Unpaid LifeLine charges

                   

· Enter the amount of unpaid LifeLine charges in Column D only. Exclude all other non-LifeLine charges, such as long distance charges, features, internet.

· GO 153 Section 9.3.9 limits the amount of bad debts claim to the lowest of (1) deposit amount for regular customer basic service, or (2) actual LifeLine rates and charges. If Column D is less than the deposit amount, then enter the amount in Column G; otherwise enter the deposit amount in Column F.

· Enter the bad debt amount in Column I from either Column F or G. If customer has made payments on previously claimed bad debt balance, enter the amount of bad debts collected from customers in Columns H and I.

1 Pursuant to GO 153 § 8.5.5, the Claim Form for July 2009 is due to CD on or before August 30, 2009, i.e. 30 days after the close of the monthly period for which a claim is made. Any customer who applies for a LifeLine service start date prior to July 2009 should be claimed using the prior claim form.

2 The Utility Reform Network, Disability Rights Advocates, and the National Consumer Law Center

3 The Commission established the LifeLine Working Group as a forum for carriers, Commission staff, and consumer groups to discuss and resolve LifeLine program administrative issues.

4 Frontier Communication (Frontier), Cox Communication (Cox), AT&T, Small ILECs (see Footnote 8), SureWest Telephone (SureWest) and Verizon California, Inc. (Verizon)

5 AT&T, Verizon, SureWest, Cox, and the Small ILECs.

6 Opening comments were submitted by AT&T, Cox, the Division of Ratepayer Advocates (DRA), Frontier, Joint Consumers, the Small ILECs (see Footnote 8), and Verizon.

7 Reply comments were submitted by AT&T, DRA, SureWest, and Verizon.

8 The Small ILECs are a group of small incumbent local exchange carriers serving rural and remote areas, as follows: Calaveras Telephone Company (U 1001 C), Cal-Ore Telephone Co. (U 1006 C), Ducor Telephone Company (U 1007 C), Foresthill Telephone Co. (U 1009 C), Happy Valley Telephone Company (U 1010 C), Hornitos Telephone Company (U 1011 C), Kerman Telephone Co. (U 1012 C), Pinnacles Telephone Co. (U 1013 C), The Ponderosa Telephone Co. (U 1014 C), Sierra Telephone Company, Inc. (U 1016 C), The Siskiyou Telephone Company (U 1017), Volcano Telephone Company (U 1019 C), and Winterhaven Telephone Company (U 1021 C)

9 Frontier, Cox, AT&T, Small ILECs, SureWest and Verizon.

10 Frontier, Cox, AT&T, Small ILECs, SureWest and Verizon.

11 Income limits were updated in a Notice to All Carriers, dated March 25, 2008, in conformance with Resolution T-17140. See Section 5.2.1.

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