California Teleconnect Fund (CTF)

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California Teleconnect Fund (CTF)
Communications Division California Public
Utilities Commission September 2009
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California Teleconnect Fund (CTF)

• A state program administered by the California
  Public Utilities Commission
• Participants receive a 50 discount on select
  communications services
• 60.34 million budget for fiscal year 2009-10
• www.cpuc.ca.gov/PUC/Telco/PublicPrograms/CTF/

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How is CTF Funded?

• Users of telecommunications services pay a CTF
  surcharge on instate phone bills
• Current CTF surcharge rate is 0.079
• If a monthly bill for in-state service is 100,
  the CTF surcharge is 7 cents

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Who is Eligible?

• K-12 Schools public private, annual endowments
  lt 50 million
• Public Libraries
• Hospitals Clinics municipal, county, or
  district-owned
• Community Based Organizations must be non-profit
  and directly provide health care, educational
  instruction, computer training, job
  training/placement, or 2-1-1 Information
  Referral Services
• Community Colleges
• California Telehealth Network Participants

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Which Services are Eligible?

• Measured Business Line
• Switched 56
• Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN)
• T-1 Lines
• Internet Access Services
• OC 3 OC 192
• Multiprotocol Label Switching (in conjunction
  with a broadband service)
• functional equivalents, which may vary between
  service providers

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How does the CTF Discount Work?

• 50 off the monthly recurring charges of eligible
  services
• Discount also applies to company specific
  surcharge/surcredits, CPUC User Fee, Federal
  Excise Fee, 911 Fee, local/city specific taxes
• Schools Libraries Federal E-Rate discount
  applied prior to CTF discount
• Not eligible installation, equipment other
  non-recurring charges

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How does the CTF Discount Work?

• Savings reflected on monthly bill, which is net
  of discount
• The service providers are reimbursed for the
  discounts by the CTF program
• CTF discounted services cannot be resold to, or
  shared with, any other non-qualifying entity or
  person

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Federal E-Rate Discount Application

• Applies to all schools libraries
• CTF discount only applies to eligible charges
  remaining after application of the E-Rate
  discount
• The statewide average E-Rate percentage
  (currently 70) is used if
• Customer did not apply for E-Rate
• Customers E-Rate application is pending
  discount trued up by service provider upon
  receipt of E-Rate funding commitment letter
• An E-Rate discount of 0 if
• Customer is denied E-Rate funding verified by
  E-Rate funding commitment letter
• Customer is small school district as defined by
  Section 42280 of California Education Code,
  unless school has an actual E-Rate

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How to Receive the Discount

• Eligibility requirements, the application
  instructions are at the CTF website
• www.cpuc.ca.gov/PUC/Telco/PublicPrograms/CTF/
• Approved applicants receive Approval Letter
  Application Number, which they use to notify
  their service provider of CTF-eligibility
• If customer notifies their service provider
  within 30 days from receipt of the Approval
  Letter, the discount is retroactive to the day
  the application was filed
• If customer notifies their service provider after
  30 days from receipt of the Approval Letter, the
  discount begins on the date of notification

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How to Receive the Discount (contd)

• Approved applicants contd
• Customer should inform their service provider of
  CTF eligibility each time a new service is
  ordered
• Customer should document (contact info, date,
  request made) all requests made to their service
  provider
• See above website for contact info of
  participating service providers
• Once approved, there is no need to re-apply or
  submit a new CTF application with the California
  Public Utilities Commission CTF Program

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Application Process Required Info

• Public Schools
• CA Department of Educations (CDE)
  County-District-School (CDS) 14-digit code number
  and sponsoring districts name
• Private, Catholic School
• CDEs CDS 14-digit code number
• Copy of 501(c)(3) IRS tax exempt status letter
  addressed to the Assistant General Counsel,
  United States Conference, WA, D.C.
• Cover page copy of the Official Catholic
  Directory
• Copy of the page in the directory listing the
  name of the church and/or school

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Application Process Required Info

• Private, Religious (other than Catholic)
• CA Department of Educations County-District-Schoo
  l code
• 501(c)(3) IRS tax exempt status letter addressed
  to the school
• If the IRS tax exempt status letter was not
  addressed directly to the school, please submit
  the following
• Letter from church stating your school is the
  churchs subunit
• Copy of the church directory or similar directory
  cover page
• Page of directory listing the name of the church
  and/or school

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Application Process Required Info

• Private, Non-Religious School
• CDEs CDS Code number
• 501(c)(3) IRS tax exempt status letter addressed
  directly to the school
• Library
• Proof of certification by the California State
  Library

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Application Process Required Info

• Community Colleges
• 3-digit Management Information System Code

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Application Process Required Info

• Government-Owned Hospitals and Health Clinics
• Letter indicating that it is owned and operated
  by government employees
• Cover page directory copy
• Page in the directory indicating the name of the
  person that signed the letter

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Application Process Required Info

• Community Based Organizations
• 501(c)(3) or 501(d) IRS tax-exempt status letter
  addressed to the organization
• Latest IRS Form 990 that is addressed to the
  organization
• Mission statement
• Brochure of the organization
• CPUC adopted Resolution, if applying as 2-1-1
  service provider
• Name change documentation, if applicable
• A letter explaining a change of address, if
  applicable

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Application Process Required Info

• Community Based Organizations (contd)
• Non-profit hospitals and health clinics applying
  as CBOs must also provide the following
  information
• List the names and residential addresses of your
  board of directors (please do not use your
  business address), and describe how the board of
  directors is representative of the community you
  serve.
• Are you located in a rural area and/or do you
  provide health care to a rural population? If
  yes, describe that rural area/community.
• Describe the geographic community or
  neighborhood, community of identity, or community
  of interest to which you provide health care.
• Is your yearly revenue, including grants and
  contributions, under 50 million? If yes, state
  the amount of your yearly revenue.

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Additional CTF Discount on Installation Costs (SB
909)

• 1.8 million funding available for installation
  costs of advanced services for non-profit CBOs
• CBOs must be engaged in diffusing advanced
  technology and provide computer training to local
  communities
• 100 discount on high speed broadband service
  installation charge (no special construction)
• Speed of at least 384 kbps
• Advanced service must be installed from 7/1/08
  through 3/31/2010, or until funding is depleted,
  whichever comes first

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Application Process Required Info

• California Telehealth Network (CTN) Participants
• Will receive CTF funding after broadband
  infrastructure is built
• CTN participants criteria will be posted on the
  CPUC website at a later time
• http//www.caltelehealth.org/documents/loa_faq.pdf
  

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Thank you! For Additional Information http//ww
w.cpuc.ca.gov/PUC/Telco/PublicPrograms/CTF/
www.cpuc.ca.gov Fe Lazaro fnl_at_cpuc.ca.gov Ad
am Clark ajc_at_cpuc.ca.gov Nate Christo nc2_at_cpuc.ca
.gov