Sec.  54.403   Lifeline support amount.

   (a) The Federal Lifeline support amount for all eligible telecommunications
   carriers shall equal:

   (1) Tier One. The tariffed rate in effect for the primary residential End
   User Common Line charge of the incumbent local exchange carrier serving the
   area in which the qualifying low-income consumer receives service, as
   determined in accordance with  Sec. 69.104 or  Sec.  Sec. 69.152(d)(1) and 69.152(q) of
   this chapter, whichever is applicable;

   (2) Tier Two. Additional federal Lifeline support in the amount of $1.75 per
   month will be made available to the eligible telecommunications carrier
   providing Lifeline service to the qualifying low-income consumer, if that
   carrier certifies to the Administrator that it will pass through the full
   amount of Tier-Two support to its qualifying, low-income consumers and that
   it has received any non-federal regulatory approvals necessary to implement
   the required rate reduction.

   (3) Tier Three. Additional federal Lifeline support in an amount equal to
   one-half the amount of any state-mandated Lifeline support or Lifeline
   support otherwise provided by the carrier, up to a maximum of $1.75 per
   month in federal support, will be made available to the carrier providing
   Lifeline service to a qualifying low-income consumer if the carrier
   certifies to the Administrator that it will pass through the full amount of
   Tier-Three support to its qualifying low-income consumers and that it has
   received any non-federal regulatory approvals necessary to implement the
   required rate reduction.

   (4) Tier Four. Additional federal Lifeline support of up to $25 per month
   will be made available to a eligible telecommunications carrier providing
   Lifeline service to an eligible resident of Tribal lands, as defined in
    Sec. 54.400(e), to the extent that:

   (i) This amount does not bring the basic local residential rate (including
   any mileage, zonal, or other non-discretionary charges associated with basic
   residential service) below $1 per month per qualifying low-income
   subscribers; and

   (ii) The eligible telecommunications carrier certifies to the Administrator
   that it will pass through the full Tier-Four amount to qualifying eligible
   residents of Tribal lands and that it has received any non-federal
   regulatory approvals necessary to implement the required rate reduction.

   (b) For a qualifying low-income consumer who is not an eligible resident of
   Tribal lands, as defined in  Sec. 54.400(e), the federal Lifeline support amount
   shall not exceed $3.50 plus the tariffed rate in effect for the primary
   residential End User Common Line charge of the incumbent local exchange
   carrier serving the area in which the qualifying low-income consumer
   receives service, as determined in accordance with  Sec. 69.104 or  Sec. 69.152(d) and
   (q) of this chapter, whichever is applicable. For an eligible resident of
   Tribal lands, the federal Lifeline support amount shall not exceed $28.50
   plus that same End User Common Line charge. Eligible telecommunications
   carriers that charge federal End User Common Line charges or equivalent
   federal charges shall apply Tier-One federal Lifeline support to waive the
   federal End-User Common Line charges for Lifeline consumers. Such carriers
   shall apply any additional federal support amount to a qualifying low-income
   consumer's intrastate rate, if the carrier has received the non-federal
   regulatory approvals necessary to implement the required rate reduction.
   Other eligible telecommunications carriers shall apply the Tier-One federal
   Lifeline support amount, plus any additional support amount, to reduce their
   lowest tariffed (or otherwise generally available) residential rate for the
   services enumerated in  Sec. 54.101(a)(1) through (a)(9), and charge Lifeline
   consumers the resulting amount.

   (c) Lifeline support for providing toll limitation shall equal the eligible
   telecommunications carrier's incremental cost of providing either toll
   blocking or toll control, whichever is selected by the particular consumer.

   [ 62 FR 32948 , June 17, 1997, as amended at  63 FR 2128 , Jan. 13, 1998;  65 FR 38689 , June 21, 2000;  65 FR 47905 , Aug. 4, 2000]