California Teleconnect Fund (CTF)

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: February 26, 2020

New claim process begins with March 2020 claims. Carriers have 60 days from the end of the month to submit claims for March 2020 and thereafter. Please see the information for Carriers section below and Resolution T-17666 for more information.

The CTF Program has initiated its participant recertification efforts with notice to specific community-based organization with annual revenue over $5 million.

The California Teleconnect Fund (CTF) was established by Decision (D.) 96-10-066 and is governed by Public Utilities Code Sections 280 and 884. In D.96-10-066, the CPUC reaffirmed its commitment to universal service, and in accordance with state and federal directives, created the CTF program to provide discounted rates to qualifying K-12 schools, libraries, community colleges, government-owned hospitals and health clinics, community-based organizations (CBOs), and healthcare CBOs. Qualified entities receive a 50% discount on eligible advanced telecommunications services through telecommunications carriers participating in the program. The CTF program is funded through a surcharge on all customers that purchase intrastate telecommunications services and has an adopted budget of $128 million for Fiscal Year 2018-2019.

California Teleconnect Fund Fact Sheet

Participant Recertification

The CPUC requires all existing CTF participants to submit a new application to recertify their eligibility every three to five years to continue receiving the CTF discounts. Recertification applies only to existing participants with approved CTF applications.

Information for Applicants and Participants

All eligible categories, K-12 schools, libraries, community colleges, government-owned hospitals and health clinics, CBOs, healthcare CBOs, and 2-1-1 providers, can apply for CTF discount by submitting an application. The applicant must include their eligibility category when completing the application.

Once approved for the CTF discount, participants must present their CTF approval letter to their service provider. The provider will discount all CTF eligible services on the participant's bill.

For more information, please refer to the CTF Applicant & Participant Guidebook. The guidebook contains information on eligibility criteria; telecommunications services eligible for CTF discounts; instructions on how to apply for the CTF discount and the application form.

See below for resources for applicants and participants:

· CTF Applicant & Participant Guidebook (with application form)

· List of Participating CTF Service Providers

Information for Carriers

Carriers and service providers can reference the CTF Service Provider Manual for important information on the CTF program. The manual lists the requirements for service providers, including the categories of services that are eligible to receive the CTF discount, instructions on how to apply the CTF discount to customers' bills, and the process for requesting reimbursement from the CPUC through claim submissions.

Resolution T-17666 modifies the claim process. Carriers have 60 days from the end of the month to submit claims for March 2020 and thereafter. Please be advised that because claims must be filed in chronological order, carriers must submit all claims for months prior to March 2020 before submitting their claim for March 2020.

See below for resources for carriers and service providers:

· CTF Service Provider Manual

· CTF Service Provider Registration Form (Data Request No. CTF-001)

· CPUC Communications Utility Contact Update Form

· Department of Finance Payee Data Record Form

· Statewide Average E-rate

· Entity Eligibility Status

Contact Us

For general program inquiries, please direct them to CTFHelp@cpuc.ca.gov or contact one of the following program representatives by phone:

· Adam Clark (415) 703-5212

· Amy Lau (415) 696-7310

For Application Renewal Process inquiries, please direct them to CTFrecert@cpuc.ca.gov or contact one of the following program representatives by phone:

· Chasel Lee (415) 703-2844

· Joanne Leung (415) 703-1149

For carriers / service providers, please direct your inquiries to CTFClaims@cpuc.ca.gov or contact one of the following program representatives by phone:

· Andrew Aliabadi (415) 703-5184

· Wylen Lai (415) 703-2616