§ 17-139.109. Oklahoma E911 Emergency Service Fund - Oklahoma Telecommunications Technology Training Fund - Special Universal Services.  


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  • A.  There is hereby created within the Corporation Commission the “Oklahoma E911 Emergency Service Fund”.  Beginning September 1, 1997, each local exchange telecommunications service provider shall annually contribute fifty cents ($0.50) per retail local exchange access line to the Oklahoma E911 Emergency Service Fund until the total amount contributed by all providers to the Fund equals Five Million Dollars ($5,000,000.00).  The contribution amount for each service provider shall be based upon the number of retail local exchange access lines of that service provider in service on July 1 of each applicable year.  The Oklahoma E911 Emergency Service Fund shall be administered by the Corporation Commission and used to defray the cost of purchasing and installing equipment for enhanced 911 emergency systems across the state.  Preference for funding shall be given first to those systems established in areas of the state which do not have access to 911 emergency service before July 1, 1997, and second to areas of the state which do not have access to enhanced 911 emergency services.  Funding from the E911 Emergency Service Fund shall not be used for ongoing operating costs of any emergency telephone service system.  To qualify for funding, the emergency telephone service system shall have been or be in the process of being approved as provided for in the Nine-One-One Emergency Number Act.  Local exchange telecommunications service providers serving fifteen percent (15%) or more of the access lines in the state may not apply for recovery of the contributions made to the E911 Emergency Service Fund from the Oklahoma Universal Service Fund created in Section 139.106 of this title.  All monies in the Oklahoma E911 Emergency Service Fund shall be expended only for the purposes set forth in this subsection.

    B.  There is hereby created within the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education the “Oklahoma Telecommunications Technology Training Fund”.  Beginning September 1, 1997, each local exchange telecommunications service provider shall annually contribute seventy-five cents ($0.75) per retail local exchange access line to the Oklahoma Telecommunications Technology Training Fund until the total amount contributed by all providers to the Fund equals Seven Million Dollars ($7,000,000.00).  The contribution amount for each service provider shall be based upon the number of retail local exchange access lines of that service provider in service on July 1 of each applicable year.  The Oklahoma Telecommunications Technology Training Fund shall be administered by the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education working in conjunction with OneNet, and shall be used to provide statewide training of teachers and school administrators in the most effective use of telecommunications and distance learning technology for the enhancement of education throughout the state.  Local exchange telecommunications service providers serving fifteen percent (15%) or more of the access lines in the state may not apply for recovery of the contributions made to the Oklahoma Telecommunications Technology Training Fund from the Oklahoma Universal Service Fund created in Section 139.106 of this title.  All monies in the Oklahoma Telecommunications Technology Training Fund shall be expended only for the purposes set forth in this subsection.

    C.  The following services are hereby declared to be Special Universal Services and such services shall be provided only after funding for the Oklahoma Universal Service Fund is implemented as set forth in Section 139.101 et seq. of this title:

    1.  Each not-for-profit hospital in the state shall, upon written request, receive one incoming, toll-free phone number and up to a total of five access lines, free of charge, to allow incoming, toll-free calls from any location within the geographic area served by the hospital;

    2.  Each not-for-profit hospital, county health department, city-county health department, and federally qualified health center in this state shall, upon written request, receive, free of charge, one telecommunications line or wireless connection sufficient for providing such telemedicine, clinical and health consultation services as the entity’s telemedicine equipment and service applications require.  The telecommunications carrier shall be entitled to reimbursement from the Oklahoma Universal Service Fund for providing the line or connection.  In no case, however, shall reimbursement from the fund be made for an Internet subscriber fee or charges incurred as a result of services accessed via the Internet;

    3.  Each public school building wherein classrooms are contained and each public library in the state shall, upon written request, receive one incoming, toll-free phone number and up to a total of five access lines, free of charge, to allow incoming, toll-free calls from any location within the geographic area served by the school or the public library;

    4.  Each public school building wherein classrooms are contained and each public library in the state shall, upon written request, receive one access line, free of charge, with the ability to connect to an Internet service provider at 1.5Mbps, in the most economically efficient manner for the carrier, or an equivalent dollar credit to be applied by the public school or public library toward similar services provided by the same carrier, for the purpose of accessing the Internet.  In no case shall the Oklahoma Universal Service Fund reimburse an entity for an Internet subscriber fee or charges incurred as a result of services accessed via the Internet; and

    5.  Each county seat in the state shall, upon written request of the board of county commissioners, receive one incoming, toll-free phone number and up to a total of five access lines, free of charge, to allow incoming, toll-free calls from any location within the geographic area served by the county seat.

    D.  To the extent Special Universal Services are purchased from a telecommunications service provider by another carrier, the Special Universal Services are for the exclusive use of the not-for-profit hospital, county health department, city-county health department, federally qualified health center, public school, public library or county government.  Under no circumstances shall the not-for-profit hospital, county health department, city-county health department, federally qualified health center, public school, public library or county government sell, repackage or share Special Universal Services with any other entity.

    E.  The Corporation Commission shall have authority to investigate and modify or reject in whole or part a Special Universal Services request under subsection C of this section if the request does not meet the specified criteria, if the Corporation Commission’s investigation determines that the entity has not provided sufficient justification for the requested services, or if the Corporation Commission determines that granting the request is not in the public interest.

Added by Laws 1997, c. 408, § 9, eff. July 1, 1997.  Amended by Laws 2000, c. 44, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2000; Laws 2000, c. 319, § 1, emerg. eff. June 5, 2000; Laws 2001, c. 33, § 17, eff. July 1, 2001; Laws 2004, c. 409, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2004; Laws 2011, c. 78, § 1, emerg. eff. April 19, 2011; Laws 2012, c. 141, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2012.