Prospective applicants who have questions about the application process or the program administration after their selection can send an email to: CASF_Application_Questions@cpuc.ca.gov. Responses will be posted every Wednesday on this FAQ page.
Challenged CASF applications
CASF Mapping FAQs
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Q: What is the status of remitting surcharges now that the Governor has signed the CASF legislation?
A: The Governor signed SB 1193 on September 27, 2008, which codifies the P.U. Code to include the California Advanced Services Fund (CASF) into the State Treasury. In the future, deposits will be in a prescribed manner not too different from the other six universal service telecommunications public program fund processes here at the Commission.
At this time, CD is finalizing a revised e-filing system with the Commission’s internal Fiscal Office and the State Treasurer’s office to incorporate the CASF remittance process. Until an official notice is posted on the CASF webpage, carriers should continue to collect the CASF surcharge revenues and hold them in a memorandum account with interest. CD anticipates an announcement soon and recommends carriers check the above referenced website frequently for more news and information.
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Q: Are internet service providers eligible to apply?
A: The eligibility requirements for obtaining CASF funds are limited to "telephone corporations" licensed by the CPUC, as defined by section 234 of the California Public Utilities Code. "Telephone corporations" are entities with a Certification of Public Necessity and Convenience (CPCN) or wireless carriers, identified in federal and state law as Commercial Mobile Radio Services (CMRS), who are registered with the CPUC and the FCC. The rationale behind this requirement that grant recipients who have a CPCN or wireless registration is the Commission's fiscal responsibility to ensure that ratepayers' funds are used properly, and that waste, fraud or abuse does not result in losses to ratepayers.
Resolution T-17143 discusses the participation of broadband providers who are not registered with the Commission or the FCC. (see Resolution T-17143, pp 18-19, 38 and Finding No.18 at p.46.) As stated in the resolution, broadband providers not registered with the Commission may seek grant funding from the CASF if they partner with or submit an application through a consortium, as long as the fiscal agent for the consortium is an entity with a CPCN or "U-number".
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Q: How does an applicant determine and document whether an area is unserved or underserved?
A: To document a project, applicants will reference CBGs (census block groups), census data, and ZIP codes (for areas that intersect) in their applications. If more recent information is available from county/city sites reflecting new housing developments or new community demands such as hospitals, schools, libraries, among others, the applicant may use these data sources/information to help justify their proposed project.
When an area proposed is within an already served area, or crosses areas already served (as reflected in existing maps such as that in the Broadband Task Report, the applicant must prove that the area being proposed is indeed still unserved by offering new information sources as cited in the preceding paragraph. With respect to cost allocation, applicants will pro-rate costs when projects include facilities in unserved and underserved – and even “served” – areas. Page 7 of the approved Resolution T-17143 provides a specific example of a project that includes both an unserved and underserved area and discusses how to calculate the Total Project Costs.
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Q: Must separate applications be submitted for different CBGs which are contiguous?
A: Applicants must submit separate applications for served and unserved areas. Applicants can submit a proposed project on one application when the CBGs are contiguous. Appendix A-2 in Resolution T-17143 defines each broadband project as a deployment encompassing a single contiguous group of CBGs. Any and all calculations for unserved versus underserved / served areas within the proposed contiguous service area must be applied and clearly described in order for the application to be reviewed.
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Q: How does an applicant assert an area as unserved/underserved?
A: The Broadband Task Force Report is one of the sources of information that the applicant can use. Other sources of information include the following:
Below are links to publicly available CBG and ZIP code tabulation area (ZCTA) shapefiles:
The CPUC has created a shapefile of Geograpic Names Information System (GNIS) populated places in California; see below for a link to access the shapefile:
There are also some useful (and free) mapping tools via the Internet, for instance Google Earth includes data layers for both populated places and postal boundaries (ZIP codes).
If you don’t have GIS software or access to online mapping tools, you can use the US Geological Survey’s Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) website to narrow down the county in which a particular community is located, along with specific latitude and longitude measurements:
If you have GIS software, you can overlay these unserved communities with CBG and/or ZIP code layers/shapefiles; this would allow you to identify which CBG(s) and/or ZIP code(s) intersect a particular community. Example for Overlaying CBG and Zip Code Boundaries
Since information broadband availability and use is continuously updated, it may be difficult and prohibitively time-consuming to maintain an up-to-date record of available resources regarding broadband availability, or lack thereof. As a tentative response, we will consider county or city publications and notices regarding new housing developments, libraries, hospitals, schools, or other potential new demand sources; articles published in newspapers, industry magazines, etc. We will not consider user statements contained as part of an online blog, as the source of such statements can not be verified.
If any part of (household within) a CBG has access to broadband service, we do not consider that CBG to be “unserved.” We will still consider an application (for unserved areas) that includes such a CBG, provided that the application proposes to serve only the portion of that CBG that is unserved. An application for an unserved area that overlaps CBGs that are not “unserved” should still include these CBGs in its CBG list (checklist item #7 in Resolution T-17143), along with a detailed map showing the actual boundary of the proposed project area (checklist item #8). We will consider only those parts of a CBG that the application asserts are unserved.
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Q: How will challenges to unserved vs. underserved/served areas be reviewed?
A: Any party that challenges a CBG as being served or (for applications for unserved areas) underserved will have to provide documentation that the CBG is in fact already served (e.g., a copy of a customer bill). Commission Staff will then investigate this information, along with the applicant’s documentation supporting its assertion that the CBG is unserved. Once Staff makes a final determination, we will notify the applicant of our determination.
If the challenged CBG is determined to be “served” or (for applications for unserved areas) underserved, the application can not be considered and will be rejected. The applicant, however, has the option to submit a modified application in subsequent rounds of proposals, either for the same area (provided that the parts of the CBG that are not “unserved” are omitted from project cost and budget considerations) or for only those parts of the CBG that are unserved.
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Q: How do we file an application and the required documents online? Is there a required file type?
A: We will begin to accept online applications on July 24, 2008. However, applicants may check the website periodically as CASF E-filing could be ready before July 24th. All applications including its attachments must be uploaded to the Commission website at: http://delaps1.cpuc.ca.gov/cpuc_notices/App_Portal_Gate_Page.htm.
To confirm the receipt of the application package, an electronic notification message will be sent to applicants after the completion and successful submission of the online application.
There are currently no restrictions on file types. However, while OpenOffice has the ability to convert its document to MS Word, it is generally a good idea to use the commonly used format such as MS Office. Preference is for applicants to use MS Word.
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Q: Re: Checklist in Appendix B - Is an actual paper hand-marked with the Applicant’s Name handwritten somewhere and scanned as a doc file acceptable?
A: Yes, either the actual paper hand-marked with the applicant’s name or a user-created checklist embedded into the application document generated is acceptable.
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Q: Where do I mail a hardcopy of my application, what it is the postmark date, format required, and how many copies are required?
A: Applications should be mailed to:
California Public Utilities Commission
Communications Division
Attn: CASF
505 Van Ness Ave.
San Francisco CA 94102
One hard copy of the application is sufficient. If the online application is successfully submitted and accepted by the deadline of July 24th, a hard copy may be mailed and received on or after July 24th.
The mailed document should follow the format of the checklist and conform to Rule 1.5 of the Commission’s Rules of Practice and Procedure:
1.5. (Rule 1.5) Form and Size of Tendered Documents
Documents tendered for filing must be typewritten, printed, or reproduced on paper 8 ½ inches wide and 11 inches long. Any larger attachments must be legibly reduced or folded to the same size. The type must be no smaller than 10 points. The impression must use 1 ½ -line or double spacing, except that footnotes and quotations in excess of a few lines may be single-spaced. Both sides of the paper may be used. A document of more than one page must be bound on the left side or upper left-hand corner. If a transmittal letter is submitted (see Rule 1.13(a)), it must not be bound to the tendered document. All copies must be clear and permanently legible.
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Q: What are the PEA requirements?
A: The PEA (Proponent’s Environmental Assessment) shall include all information and studies required under the Commission's Information and Criteria List adopted pursuant to Chapter 1200 of the Statutes of 1977 (Government Code Sections 65940 through 65942), which is published on the Commission's Internet website at:
http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/PUC/energy/electric/Environment/infocrit.htm
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Q: When does the hard copy of the application need to be received or postmarked?
A: If the online application is successfully submitted and accepted by the deadline of July 24th, a hard copy may be mailed and received on or after July 24th.
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Q: What matching fund certification satisfies Checklist #13? What certification is needed?
A: Although the Affidavit in Appendix C of Resolution T-17143 covers this, we encourage applicants to provide a separate attestation to this similar to the affidavit using more specific language, and any other information that demonstrates the funding source.
If the applicant provides a separate attestation re: matching funds, this can be included with item 12 of the checklist.
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Q: What are the requirements/restrictions for sources of matching funds?
A: 60% of the project cost must be funded by the applicant either from their own funds or through outside financing sources.
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Q: What are the requirements / restrictions for capital and operating expenses and what should be included in the Total Project Cost?
A: Capital costs should only reflect costs attributable to the broadband infrastructure construction project being proposed. There should not be any operating or maintenance expenses.
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Challenged CASF Applications
Q: What information is used to update the California Broadband Task Force Map?
A: The updated California Broadband Map (CBTF) reflects data collected from broadband providers through the California Emerging Technology Fund -funded demand aggregation projects. Cal State University, Chico collected availability data from broadband providers in the region, aggregated them, and produced a GIS map layer, which is/was provided to the Commission and used to update the Map.
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Q: What happens when the proposed Census Block Group(s) (CBGs) in my application is challenged by other service providers or is shown as served in the CBTF?
A: Communications Division (CD) staff relies on the unserved and underserved definitions currently being used today (Resolution T-17143) that start with the California Broadband Task Force Maps and projects seeking funds under CASF should focus on providing broadband access based on the updated California broadband map. (Decision D.09-07-020)
However, CD staff acknowledges that the Task Force Reports’ availability maps may not be 100% accurate.
Therefore, as part of the review and investigation process, CD staff overlays shapefiles submitted by applicants onto the CBTF and challenged areas maps. This is to verify which areas in the CBG are challenged or which areas appear as served. Second, if the CBGs appear already served, staff will consult with the applicant. To the extent an applicant disagrees, applicants will need to submit additional data to prove that the areas applied for are either unserved or underserved.
CD staff uses this same method of overlaying shapefiles submitted by applicants onto the CBTF maps and maps submitted by challengers and verification process to determine which areas in a CBG are served, unserved or underserved with all the other CASF applicants.
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Q: What kind of specific information or proof does the Commission need in order to make it clear that the current coverage maps reportedly being used to evaluate applications are flawed (for any number of reasons such as granularity, age, etc.)?
A: Ways to demonstrate unserved or underserved areas include but are not limited to:
- advertisements showing the advertised speed of internet service providers in the area;
- verifiable telephone numbers and addresses of residents or businesses not getting any type of broadband or broadband with speeds lower than 3 Mbps download and 1 Mbps upload;
- letters from county officials or community representatives;
- more granular maps of the CBG(s) in question.
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Q: Are challengers claiming to be serving a given area that is being applied for by a CASF applicant also required to provide verification of broadband service?
A: The same review and investigation process applied to an applicant is applied to a challenger.
Challengers can also be required to provide maps and their advertised broadband speeds to determine whether the challenged areas are indeed served.
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Q: If challengers are not able to provide verification of the CBGs in question, are their challenges ignored?
A: No, if a challenger who is asked to provide additional information is not able to do so for various reasons, CD staff will use whatever information it has in its review and analysis to determine whether a proposed CBG qualifies as unserved or underserved under the definition in T-17143.
CASF Mapping
Q: Can you accept data formats other than shapefiles?
A: No. We use ArcGIS software, whose native data file format is .shp. If you are working in another mapping program such as MapInfo or AutoCAD Map, there is most likely an export function which will allow you to export your data to .shp.
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Q: I submitted my .shp file as requested; why is the Commission asking for more map files?
A: A shapefile is not a single file, but a collection of seven files - .dbf, .prj, .sbn, .sbx, .shx, .shp, .xml. Without all of these, the data cannot be read. If you are working in ArcGIS, all of these files should be generated automatically. If you are working in another mapping program, not all of them may be automatically generated upon export. However, if you have assigned the correct coordinate system, projection, and spatial extent to your data, it may be readable anyway.
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Q: Which coordinate system should I assign to the data, so that it can be properly projected and aligned with other data?
A: All California state agencies use state-based projections such as California State Plane or California Teale Albers. Both of these are based on the 1983 California Geographic Coordinate System (GCS_California_1983) with a 1983 North American Datum (NAD_1983) point. California Teal Albers is a single statewide projection, good for producing a single map of something that has a statewide extent. California State Plane is a collection of 6 projections, each based on a region, or zone, within California. For your convenience, a California State Plane Zone map is provided below. Note that it is not absolutely necessary to project your data. As long as it is correctly geo-referenced (see below), it should be projectable from any coordinate system; however, in the interest of convenience and standardization, we suggest that you use the GCS_California_1983 coordinate system.
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Q: I assigned the correct coordinate system to the map, but it still doesn’t align properly with other data. What should I do?
A: You can assign any coordinate system or projection you want to a shapefile, but unless the original data is created in alignment with an existing, correctly geo-referenced map, it will not be usable. To avoid this, digitize your service area to an existing, correctly geo-referenced map of the region, then assign that coordinate system to the resulting shapefile.
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