A. The highest funding priority will be accorded to projects that provide direct customer education on evaluating and purchasing services from incumbent local exchange carriers (LECs). Such projects should be designed to provide practical information to customers, or prospective customers, in making actual purchasing decisions.

B. Effectively disputing an unauthorized charge or service is also vital to ensuring that customers pay only for the services they order. Thus, the second highest level of priority will be

Attachment B

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for projects that fund direct consumer education on disputing charges through the LEC, CPUC, or other appropriate agency.

C. The evidence in this proceeding showed that telecommunications purchasing decisions by persons with low-incomes have a disproportionate impact on the family budget. For different reasons, recent immigrants can also be disproportionately impacted by telecommunications purchasing decisions. Therefore, the third highest level of funding priority shall be assigned to projects that provide general telecommunications service information and assistance for low-income persons and recent immigrants. Such projects need not be limited to direct customer education but may provide other types of assistance to these groups in securing telecommunications services

(END OF ATTACHMENT B)