California Teleconnect Fund (CTF)

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: September 4, 2019

Mandatory Application Renewal Process has begun for members of the California Telehealth Network currently participating in the California Teleconnect Fund program. Please watch for notifications.
Participating service providers must submit all claims for periods prior to March 2020 before submitting their claim for March 2020, which will be due by May 1, 2020. Therefore, if you have not already, please begin preparing all claims through February prior to filing.

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.

As of December 2018, a total of 13,324 qualified entities – 3,584 K-12 schools, 505 libraries, 97 community colleges, 8,965 community-based organizations, 172 government-owned hospitals and health clinics, and 1 telemedicine network – receive CTF discounts on eligible telecommunications services through 77 participating carriers.

California Teleconnect Fund Fact Sheet

Application Renewal Process

The CPUC requires all existing CTF participants to submit a renewal application every three to five years. Recertification of eligibility is required to continue receiving the CTF discounts. The Application Renewal Process applies only to existing participants with approved CTF applications.

Information for Applicants and Participants

All eligible categories such as K-12 schools, libraries, community colleges, government-owned hospitals and health clinics, CBOs, healthcare CBOs, and 2-1-1 providers can apply for CTF 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 CTF 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.

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 CTFARP@cpuc.ca.gov or contact one of the following program representatives by phone:

· Joanne Leung (415) 703-1149

· Chasel Lee (415) 703-2844

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