OUS Fund - FAQ: OUS Support and the OUS 3 Line Count Worksheet
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Q1. How often is OUS support distributed?
Q2. What areas receive OUS support?
Q3. How much OUS support is available?
Q5. What line counts are eligible for OUS support and included on the OUS 3 Worksheet?
Q6. What is the definition of basic telephone service?
Q1. How often is OUS support distributed?
OUS support is distributed monthly. Distributions are based on the number of subscriber lines located in high-cost wire centers that are used in the provision of basic telephone service by local exchange carriers (LECs) designated as eligible by the PUC. The number of subscriber lines by incumbent wire center is provided to the OUS administrator on the OUS 3 Worksheet. The schedule for line count reporting and support payments to eligible LEC's is shown in the Monthly OUS 3 Line Count Reporting and Payment Schedule.
Q2. What areas receive OUS support?
The support area is the incumbent LEC’s wire center area.
Q3. How much OUS support is available?
The amount of OUS support available per line depends on the cost of providing local exchange service in each specific wire center; less a statewide authorized benchmark; and less any federal USF support or loop compensation amounts. See Order 00-312, at Issue 9. The amount of OUS support available per line per month is provided in OUS Support by Wire Center.
Only certified telecommunications service providers (TSPs are certified under ORS 759.020) who have been designated by the PUC as an eligible LEC may receive OUS support. Radio common carriers (RCCs) may also petition the PUC for eligibility to receive OUS support. If approved, RCC retail revenues would then be subject to the OUS surcharge. The criteria and procedures for petitioning the PUC for eligibility are provided under FAQs: Telecommunications Provider Eligibility.
Q5. What line counts are eligible for OUS support and included on the OUS 3 Worksheet?
The line counts on the OUS 3 Worksheet should be only those used in the provision of the supported basic telephone services (Columns (b) through (d)) and whose physical source is either a leased unbundled network element (UNE) access line from the incumbent LEC or an owned facility (Columns (e) and (f). See Instructions for Worksheets, Section 6. An access line is a revenue producing (i.e., a subscriber loop that is working and connected to an active customer) network access channel (NAC) that connects a customer’s location with the LEC’s serving wire center. Station lines on the customer’s side of a key system or PBX system are considered customer premise inside wiring and are not counted as NACs or access lines.
Q6. What is the definition of basic telephone service?
"Basic telephone service" means a retail telecommunications service that is single party, has voice grade or equivalent transmission parameters and tone-dialing capability, provides local exchange calling, and gives a customer access to, but does not include:
(a) Extended area service (EAS),
(b) Long distance service,
(c) Relay service for the hearing and speech impaired,
(d) Operator services,
(e) Directory assistance, and
(f) Emergency 9-1-1 service. See OAR 860-032-0260.
The following are classified as basic telephone services:
(a) Residential single party flat or measured rate local exchange service,
(b) Business single party flat or measured rate local exchange service,
(c) PBX trunk and multi-line business service, and
(d) Public access line (PAL) service.
The following are not classified as basic telephone services:
(a) Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) service,
(b) Digital subscriber line service (DSL),
(c) Frame relay service,
(d) Centrex-type service,
(e) Private line or dedicated point-to-point service,
(f) Packet switch service,
(g) Foreign exchange service,
(h) Multi-party service, and
(i) Dedicated closed-end WATS/800 service.
Q7. If I am a reseller of basic telephone service from an incumbent LEC, are these lines eligible for OUS support?
No. The reseller may not count lines or receive additional OUS support for services provisioned via resale of another carrier’s basic retail service.
Q8. If I am an eligible incumbent LEC and lease UNE access lines to another carrier, are these lines eligible for OUS support?
Yes, under certain conditions, the eligible incumbent may receive an allocated portion of the OUS support. The conditions are (a) the second carrier is designated as eligible in that service area, (b) the access lines are used by the second carrier for the provision of supported basic telephone services, and (c) the wire center is a qualified high-cost wire center. See Question 10. Leased UNE access lines should not be included on the incumbent’s OUS 3 Worksheet. They should be shown on the competitive LEC’s OUS 3 Worksheet under the "Leased UNEs" line source Column (f). See Question 9.
Q9. If I am an eligible competitive LEC, and lease UNE access lines from the incumbent LEC, are these lines eligible for OUS support?
Yes, provided the UNE access line is used in the provision of basic telephone service in a qualified high-cost wire center. There may be an allocation of OUS support to the incumbent LEC. See Question 10.
Q10. In regard to the lease of UNE access lines by an eligible incumbent LEC to an eligible competitive LEC, how is the OUS support shared?
The sharing provision is set forth in PUC Order 00-312, at Issue 6. The sharing is based on a UNE platform price that includes the various UNE elements required for local exchange service. To the degree that the incumbent LEC has a UNE platform price less than the OUS economic cost, the incumbent would receive a percentage allocation equal to the OUS economic cost minus the UNE platform price divided by the OUS economic cost minus the benchmark. The competitive LEC would receive a percentage allocation equal to the UNE platform price minus the benchmark divided by the OUS economic cost minus the benchmark. The statewide benchmark is $21.00 per line per month. The allocation percentages are provided in OUS Support by Wire Center.
Q11. If I am an eligible competitive LEC and lease UNE access lines from a third party, are these lines eligible for OUS support?
Yes, provided they satisfy the provisions in Question 9. However, because the incumbent would not own the underlying physical lines, there would be no allocation of the OUS support. To prevent allocation, the line count source shown on the competitive LEC’s OUS 3 Worksheet should be shown as Owned.