Sec.  54.706   Contributions.

   Link to an amendment published at  72 FR 54218 , Sept. 24, 2007.

   (a) Entities that provide interstate telecommunications to the public, or to
   such classes of users as to be effectively available to the public, for a
   fee will be considered telecommunications carriers providing interstate
   telecommunications services and must contribute to the universal service
   support    mechanisms.   Certain   other   providers   of   interstate
   telecommunications,  such  as payphone providers that are aggregators,
   providers of interstate telecommunications for a fee on a non-common carrier
   basis,  and interconnected VoIP providers, also must contribute to the
   universal service support mechanisms. Interstate telecommunications include,
   but are not limited to:

   (1) Cellular telephone and paging services;

   (2) Mobile radio services;

   (3) Operator services;

   (4) Personal communications services (PCS);

   (5) Access to interexchange service;

   (6) Special access service;

   (7) WATS;

   (8) Toll-free service;

   (9) 900 service;

   (10) Message telephone service (MTS);

   (11) Private line service;

   (12) Telex;

   (13) Telegraph;

   (14) Video services;

   (15) Satellite service;

   (16) Resale of interstate services;

   (17) Payphone services; and

   (18) Interconnected VoIP services.

   (19) Prepaid calling card providers.

   (b)  Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section, every entity
   required to contribute to the federal universal service support mechanisms
   under paragraph (a) of this section shall contribute on the basis of its
   projected collected interstate and international end-user telecommunications
   revenues, net of projected contributions.

   (c) Any entity required to contribute to the federal universal service
   support  mechanisms  whose  projected  collected  interstate  end-user
   telecommunications revenues comprise less than 12 percent of its combined
   projected collected interstate and international end-user telecommunications
   revenues shall contribute based only on such entity's projected collected
   interstate  end-user  telecommunications  revenues,  net  of projected
   contributions. For purposes of this paragraph, an “entity” shall refer to
   the entity that is subject to the universal service reporting requirements
   in  Sec. 54.711 and shall include all of that entity's affiliated providers of
   interstate and international telecommunications and telecommunications
   services.

   (d) Entities providing open video systems (OVS), cable leased access, or
   direct broadcast satellite (DBS) services are not required to contribute on
   the basis of revenues derived from those services. The following entities
   will not be required to contribute to universal service: non-profit health
   care providers; broadcasters; systems integrators that derive less than five
   percent  of  their  systems  integration  revenues  from the resale of
   telecommunications. Prepaid calling card providers are not required to
   contribute on the basis of revenues derived from prepaid calling cards sold
   by, to, or pursuant to contract with the Department of Defense (DoD) or a
   DoD entity.

   [ 63 FR 70575 , Dec. 21, 1998, as amended at  64 FR 60358 , Nov. 5, 1999;  67 FR 11260 , Mar. 13, 2002;  67 FR 79532 , Dec. 30, 2002;  71 FR 38796 , July 10,
   2006;  71 FR 43673 , Aug. 2, 2006]

   Effective Date Note:   At  71 FR 38796 , July 10, 2006,  Sec. 54.706 was amended by
   revising paragraphs (a) introductory text, (a)(16), (a)(17), by adding
   paragraph  (a)(18),  and by revising paragraphs (b) and (c). This text
   contains information collection and recordkeeping requirements and will not
   become effective until approval has been given by the Office of Management
   and Budget.