(a) As used in this section, “interconnected Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service” has the same meaning as in Section 9.3 of Title 47 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
(b) The Legislature finds and declares that the sole purpose of this section is to require the commission to impose the surcharges pursuant to this section to ensure that end-use customers of interconnected VoIP service providers contribute to the funds enumerated in this section, and, therefore, this section does not indicate the intent of the Legislature with respect to any other purpose.
(c) The commission shall require interconnected VoIP service providers to collect and remit surcharges on their California intrastate revenues in support of the following public purpose program funds:
(1) California High-Cost Fund-A Administrative Committee Fund under Section 275.
(2) California High-Cost Fund-B Administrative Committee Fund under Section 276.
(3) Universal Lifeline Telephone Service Trust Administrative Committee Fund under Section 277.
(4) Deaf and Disabled Telecommunications Program Administrative Committee Fund under Section 278.
(5) California Teleconnect Fund Administrative Committee Fund under Section 280.
(6) California Advanced Services Fund under Section 281.
(d) The authority to impose a surcharge pursuant to this section applies only to a surcharge imposed on end-use customers for interconnected VoIP service provided to an end-use customer’s place of primary use that is located within California. As used in this subdivision, “place of primary use” means the street address where the end-use customer’s use of interconnected VoIP service primarily occurs, or a reasonable proxy as determined by the interconnected VoIP service provider, such as the customer’s registered location for 911 purposes.
(e) (1) For the purposes of determining what revenues are subject to a surcharge imposed pursuant to this section, an interconnected VoIP service provider may use any of the following methodologies to identify intrastate revenues:
(A) The inverse of the interstate safe harbor percentage established by the Federal Communications Commission for interconnected VoIP service for federal universal service contribution purposes, as these percentages may be revised from time to time.
(B) A traffic study specific to the interconnected VoIP service provider allocating revenues between the federal and state jurisdictions.
(C) Another means of accurately apportioning interconnected VoIP service between federal and state jurisdictions.
(2) The methodology chosen pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be consistent with the revenue allocation methodology the provider uses to determine its federal universal service contribution obligations.
(3) It is the intent of the Legislature that a traffic study described in subparagraph (B) of paragraph (1) is excluded from public inspection pursuant to Public Utilities Commission General Order 66-C, because the disclosure of these studies would place the provider at an unfair business disadvantage.
(Added by Stats. 2011, Ch. 685, Sec. 1. (AB 841) Effective October 9, 2011.)