PART 4 - Exchange Access Services 1st Revised Sheet 1 SECTION 4 - Telephone Assistance Programs Replacing Original Sheet 1

Transcription

1 PART - Exchange Access Services st Revised Sheet SECTION - Telephone Assistance Programs Replacing Original Sheet LIFELINE DISCOUNT TELEPHONE SERVICE PROGRAMSOP A. General. Lifeline Discount Telephone Service is a telecommunications service assistance program designed to provide eligible residential customers with a reduction in the price of basic local exchange access service.. Lifeline Service includes: single-party service; voice grade access to the public switched telephone network; Dual Tone Multi-frequency (DTMF) or its functional equivalent; access to emergency services; access to operator services; access to interexchange service; access to Directory Assistance and toll blocking for qualifying low-income customers.. The Lifeline discount shall apply only to the following qualifying types of basic local exchange access services (residential only): -Party and Economy -Element Measured -Party, according to the schedule of rates and rate groups, herein. //. The Lifeline discount does not apply to Service Connection charges /,/, long distance services, Touch-Tone, Custom Calling, 9 and other Information Provider services, urban mileage, construction charges, additional listings, etc. However, Lifeline customers will be entitled to obtain such services, where available, at their discretion, even though the Lifeline reduction does not apply.. Lifeline Discount Telephone Service will not be available on a retroactive basis.. Rates, Terms and Conditions stated herein apply to Lifeline Discount Telephone Service only. Effective September, 00, the Tel-Assistance Program is discontinued, and existing Tel- Assistance customers are migrated to the Lifeline Program. Based on the better discount amount provided by either program, the existing Tel-Assistance customer rates are either converted to current Lifeline rates or are grandfathered at the Tel-Assistance rates in effect on August, 00. // // Rates grandfathered for existing customers at the same premises and under existing billing name -- only exception being supercedes in billing name at the same premises due to the death of a spouse who previously had a -Party or Suburban -Party Service and were converted to -Party Service at the time their respective exchange eliminated -Party and Suburban -Party Service as an offering. // The Lifeline discount does not apply to service connection charges. // Refer to Part, Section for instances in which Service Connection charges would not be applicable. ATT TN TX--00 Effective: April, 0

2 PART - Exchange Access Services Original Sheet SECTION - Telephone Assistance Programs B. Customer Eligibility Requirements Customer eligibility will be determined by the Texas Low-Income Discount Administrator (LIDA). Lifeline Discount Telephone Service will be provided to customers with a household income at or below 0% of the federal poverty level (as determined by the United States Office of Management and Budget and reported annually in the Federal Register), or in whose household resides a person who receives or has a child who receives: - Medicaid, - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), - Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), - Supplemental Security Income (SSI), - Federal Public Housing Assistance/Section, - Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), - National School Lunch Program s free lunch program,or - health benefits coverage under the state child health plan under Chapter, Health and Safety Code. Tribal Lands Lifeline Discount will be provided to applicants residing on Tribal Lands and participating in one or more of the following criteria [referenced in Title, Code of Federal Regulations, Section 0., Paragraph(v)]: - Bureau of Indian Affairs general assistance, - Tribally administered Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), - Head Start (must meet program s income qualifying standard), - Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations, or - National School Lunch Program (must satisfy income standard for free lunch program). Lifeline Service benefits are applicable only to the primary line at the customer s principal residential premises. //. Lifeline support is limited to a single subscription per household where household is defined to be any individual or group of individuals who are living together at the same address as one economic unit, and economic unit consists of all adult individuals contributing to and sharing in the income and expenses of a household.. Effective June, 0, proof of eligibility will be required for all initial applicants and all applicants will be required to re-certify every year. // A residential premises, or dwelling place, is intended to be that location where an applicant resides, even if such residential premises, or dwelling place is only a single room. Lifeline Discount Telephone Service will only be provided on the primary line into the residential premises, or dwelling place. ATT TN TX--00 Effective: November, 0

3 PART - Exchange Access Services Original Sheet SECTION - Telephone Assistance Programs C. Customer Application Requirements. Applicants who participate in LIHEAP, FPHA, or National School Lunch Program, or whose household income level is at or below 0% of the federal poverty guidelines, may self-enroll for Lifeline service by completing an application form, certification form, and household worksheet. LIDA will send forms to the customer upon request. Customer must return the forms to the LIDA.. On a monthly basis, the Company will send a list of customers to the LIDA. LIDA will match the names with the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (THHSC) file containing the names of applicants who receive benefits from Medicaid, SNAP, health benefits coverage under the state child health plan, TANF or SSI. The LIDA will then send a file to the Company of new consumers who are eligible for Lifeline service. The Company will utilize this file to give the Lifeline discount to eligible Company customers.. Tribal Land Applicants may also self-enroll under penalty of perjury that he/she resides on a reservation, as defined in Title Code of Federal Regulations, Section 0., Paragraph (v), and receives benefits from at least one of the programs referenced herein. D. Customer Discount Application The Company will enroll customers in or remove them from Lifeline within 0 days of receipt of the LIDA file. E. Lifeline Discounts Qualified Lifeline Applicants will receive discounts on monthly bills as follow:. Federal Discount (includes waiver of the Monthly subscriber line charge // ): $ 9.. State Discount:.0. Additional Federal Discount for Lifeline Service provided to an eligible resident of Tribal lands: up to.00. Additional Texas High Cost Universal Service Plan ILEC Area Discount:.9 // Also known as federal End User Copmmon Line (EUCL) charge. Refer to Tariff F.C.C. No. for the applicable EUCL charge for Texas. ATT TN TX--00 Effective: November, 0

4 PART - Exchange Access Services th Revised Sheet SECTION - Telephone Assistance Programs Replacing rd Revised Sheet F. Residence Lifeline Discount Telephone Service Rates. The Lifeline Discount Telephone Services and related rates shown herein are applicable to, and offered only with basic residential local exchange access service, as shown in paragraph C., Customer Application Requirements. Such offerings may not be provided in connection with additional local exchange access lines as specified paragraph B., Customer Eligibility Requirements. The rates shown below apply to all exchanges except those listed in paragraph C..c.. Chapter Standard Line Rates, and are the net Lifeline Discount Telephone Service local exchange access service rates after the appropriate Lifeline reduction has been applied to the regular monthly local exchange access service line rate for applicable residential grade of service as shown in paragraph C.. The rate for qualified Tribal Lands Applicants, defined as those lowincome consumers who live on a reservation as specified in paragraph B. may not be reduced below $. // Rate Group -Party, -Party, // Tribal Lands and Economy - Element Measured /,/, Tribal Lands Economy -Element Measured,-Party /,/ /LF/ /LF/ /LF/ /LL/ $ (I) (I) /LL9/ $ (I) (I) /NR/ $ /RWA/ $.9 (I) (I) // Customers in Chapter exchanges who subscribe to certain packages will receive a credit on their monthly bill equal to the line rate increase. // Applicable to only those Grandfathered customers (customers with existing service at the same premises and under existing billing name the only exception being supersedes in billing name at the same premises due to the death of a spouse), who previously had -Party Service and were converted to -Party Service at the time their respective exchange eliminated - and -Party Service as an offering. // The local message allowance is outgoing local messages, and $0.0 for additional outgoing local message over. Economy One-element Measured -Party residence service is offered only to customers located within the Company's Texas exchange central offices which have both the capability and capacity to offer such service. // This service is obsolete for residence customers, except for existing installations at existing locations for existing residence customers who subscribed to the service prior to July, 0.

5 PART - Exchange Access Services rd Revised Sheet SECTION - Telephone Assistance Programs Replacing nd Revised Sheet F. Residence Lifeline Discount Telephone Service Rates (cont d). Chapter Standard Lifeline Rates The rates below apply only in the exchanges listed under paragraph C..c.. Rate Group -Party, /LL/ $ (I) (I) Tribal Lands and Economy - Element Measured /,/, Tribal Lands /NR/ $ // The local message allowance is outgoing local messages, and $0.0 for additional outgoing local message over. Economy One-element Measured -Party residence service is offered only to customers located within the Company's Texas exchange central offices which have both the capability and capacity to offer such service. // This service is obsolete for residence customers, except for existing installations at existing locations for existing residence customers who subscribed to the service prior to July, 0.

6 PART - Exchange Access Services th Revised Sheet SECTION - Telephone Assistance Programs Replacing th Revised Sheet F. Residence Lifeline Discount Telephone Service Rates (cont d). The rates below are applicable only to those "grandfathered" customers who retain existing service in the same exchange and who subscribed to Tel-Assistance Service prior to August, 00. The rates below apply to all exchanges except those listed in paragraph C..c. Chapter Standard Line Rates. Rate Group -Party Flat, -to- Party, // -to- Party, // /LFV/ /LLZ/ /LLK/ $ (I) (I) $ (I) (I) $ /I/ /I/ // Applicable only to those -Party grandfathered customer (customers with existing service at the same premises and under the existing billing name the only exception being supersedes in billing name due to the death of a spouse) who previously had -Party Service and were converted to - Party Service at the time their exchange eliminated - and -Party Service. // Applicable to only those Grandfathered customers (customers with existing service at the same premises and under existing billing name the only exception being supersedes in billing name at the same premises due to the death of a spouse), who previously had -Party Service and were converted to -Party Service at the time their respective exchange eliminated - and -Party Service as an offering.

7 PART - Exchange Access Services rd Revised Sheet SECTION - Telephone Assistance Programs Replacing nd Revised Sheet F. Residence Lifeline Discount Telephone Service Rates (cont d). Chapter Standard Rates Grandfathered Services The rates below apply only in the exchanges listed under paragraph C..c.. Rate Group -Party Flat, - to -Party, // - to -Party, // Economy -Element Measured,-Party /,/ /LFV/ /LLZ/ /LL9/ /LLK/ /RWA/ $ (I) (I) $ (I) (I) $ (I) (I) $ (I) (I) // Applicable only to those -Party grandfathered customer (customers with existing service at the same premises and under the existing billing name the only exception being supersedes in billing name due to the death of a spouse) who previously had -Party Service and were converted to - Party Service at the time their exchange eliminated - and -Party Service. // Applicable to only those Grandfathered customers (customers with existing service at the same premises and under existing billing name the only exception being supersedes in billing name at the same premises due to the death of a spouse), who previously had -Party Service and were converted to -Party Service at the time their respective exchange eliminated - and -Party Service as an offering. // The local message allowance is outgoing local messages, and $0.0 for additional outgoing local message over. Economy One-element Measured -Party residence service is offered only to customers located within the Company's Texas exchange central offices which have both the capability and capacity to offer such service. // This service is obsolete for residence customers, except for existing installations at existing locations for existing residence customers who subscribed to the service prior to July, 0.

8 PART - Exchange Access Services rd Revised Sheet SECTION - Telephone Assistance Programs Replacing nd Revised Sheet F. Residence Lifeline Discount Telephone Service Rates (cont d). The rates below are the net Lifeline Discount Telephone Service local exchange access service rates for Standard Plus Line service after the appropriate Lifeline reduction has been applied to the regular monthly local exchange access service line rate for applicable residential grade of service as shown in paragraph C.. The rate for qualified Tribal Lands Applicants, defined as those low-income consumers who live on a reservation as specified in paragraph B. may not be reduced below $. The rates below apply in these listed exchanges: Abilene, Alamo-Pharr-San Juan, Alice, Allen, Amarillo, Anthony, Austin, Bastrop, Beaumont, Beeville, Belton, Big Spring, Bridge City, Brownsville, Corpus Christi, Cypress, Dallas, Donna, Edinburg, El Paso, Fort Worth, Frisco, Harlingen, Houston, Laredo, Lockhart, Longview, Lubbock, Luling, McAllen, McKinney, Mercedes, Midland, Mission, Nederland Port Neches, New Braunfels, Odessa, Orange, Rockwall, San Antonio, San Benito, San Diego, Seguin, Silsbee, Smithville, Spring, Snyder, Sweetwater, Taylor, Temple, Tomball, Tyler, Vidor, Waco, Wichita Falls. Rate Group -Party, -Party, // Tribal Lands and Economy - Element Measured //, Tribal Lands Economy -Element Measured,-Party /,/ /LF/ /LF/ /LF/ /LL/ /LL9/ /XXX/ /RWA/ $ (I) (I) $(I) (I) $ $ (I) (I) // Applicable to only those Grandfathered customers (customers with existing service at the same premises and under existing billing name the only exception being supersedes in billing name at the same premises due to the death of a spouse), who previously had -Party Service and were converted to -Party Service at the time their respective exchange eliminated - and -Party Service as an offering. // This service is obsolete for residence customers, except for existing installations at existing locations for existing residence customers who subscribed to the service prior to July, 0. // The local message allowance is outgoing local messages, and $0.0 for additional outgoing local message over. Economy One-element Measured -Party residence service is offered only to customers located within the Company's Texas exchange central offices which have both the capability and capacity to offer such service.

9 PART - Exchange Access Services rd Revised Sheet 9 SECTION - Telephone Assistance Programs Replacing nd Revised Sheet 9 F. Residence Lifeline Discount Telephone Service Rates (cont d). Chapter Standard Plus Rates Grandfathered Services The rates below are applicable only to those "grandfathered" customers who retain existing service in the same exchange and who subscribed to Tel-Assistance Service prior to Aug., 00. The rates below apply in these listed exchanges: Abilene, Alamo-Pharr-San Juan, Alice, Allen, Amarillo, Anthony, Austin, Bastrop, Beaumont, Beeville, Belton, Big Spring, Bridge City, Brownsville, Corpus Christi, Cypress, Dallas, Donna, Edinburg, El Paso, Fort Worth, Frisco, Harlingen, Houston, Laredo, Lockhart, Longview, Lubbock, Luling, McAllen, McKinney, Mercedes, Midland, Mission, Nederland Port Neches, New Braunfels, Odessa, Orange, Rockwall, San Antonio, San Benito, San Diego, Seguin, Silsbee, Smithville, Snyder, Spring, Sweetwater, Taylor, Temple, Tomball, Tyler, Vidor, Waco, Wichita Falls. Rate Group -Party Flat, - to -Party, - to -Party, /LFV/ /LLZ/ /LLK/ $ (I) (I) $ (I) (I) $ (I) (I). Optional Extended Metropolitan Service Lifeline (EMS) The following rates for are for Optional Extended Metropolitan Service(EMS). Description Rate USOC Extended Metro Service Tier Flat Rate Party Tribal Lands Tier Flat Rate Party Tribal Lands $.9.9 /LE/ /NE/ /LE/ /NE/ G. Service Connections, Moves and Changes See Part, Section.

10 PART - Exchange Access Services st Revised Sheet 0 SECTION - Telephone Assistance Programs Replacing Original Sheet 0 H. Deposits and Payments for Service. Credit Reference The credit verification procedures used for all applicants who apply for service with the Company will also be used for applicants who apply for service under the Lifeline Discount Telephone Service Program.. Deposits The deposit standards used for all applicants who apply for service with the Company will be used for applicants who apply for service under the Lifeline Discount Telephone Service Program, except that such deposit standards shall not apply to Lifeline customers electing toll restriction service.. Payments for Service Once service has been established for a Lifeline customer, he/she will be expected to adhere to the same bill payment policy expected of any other AT&T customer. (See paragraph J for eligibility for an extended deferred payment plan.) I. FCC Lifeline Program - Subscriber Line Charge (also known as End User Common Line Charge, or EUCL) Because the Lifeline Discount Telephone Service Program has been certified by the FCC, eligible Lifeline customers will receive the appropriate SLC reduction or waiver as specified by the FCC. J. Any Lifeline customer may elect to subscribe, at no charge, to Toll Restriction Service, as described in Part, Section, and to restrict their line from incoming Billed to Third Party and Collect calls. Any Lifeline customer who expresses an inability to pay their past due account balance may elect to enter into an extended deferred payment plan not to exceed twelve () months. Lifeline customers who elect this payment arrangement will be required to obtain, at no charge, Toll Restriction Service and to maintain restrictions on their line to deny incoming Billed to Third Party, and Collect calls, until such time as the terms of the extended deferred payment plan are met. Such customers remain responsible for payment of any charge(s) initiated and billed to the account after the terms of the extended deferred payment plan have been agreed upon, as outlined in Part, Section. For such charges, the Company retains the sole discretion as to whether to extend additional payment arrangements. ATT TN TX--000 Effective: April, 0