69-3-841. Universal service policies. The legislature finds that universally available telecommunications services are essential to the health, welfare, and economic well-being of the citizens of Montana. The federal Telecommunications Act of 1996, Public Law 104-104, requires a transition to local competition. Implicit subsidies have historically been used to further the public policy of keeping local rates to customers in high-cost areas at affordable levels. The federal act and the transition to competition require that all subsidies used to keep local rates at affordable levels be explicit. Additionally, the federal act’s universal service provisions establish a system of discounts for schools, libraries, and health care providers. Securing these discounts can be dependent on state actions. In order to preserve and advance the goal of universal service in the new competitive environment established by the federal act, the legislature finds that a new Montana universal service fund, supported by contributions from the telecommunications carriers operating in Montana, should be created that will:

(1)not duplicate the federal universal service fund mandated by the Telecommunications Act of 1996 but that will complement the federal fund by providing additional funding as necessary to ensure universal service in the state of Montana;

(2)be competitively and technologically neutral in both funding and distribution;

(3)provide a specific, predictable, and sufficient mechanism of support for high-cost areas; and

(4)allow for implementation of the federal support system for telecommunications services provided to schools, libraries, and health care providers.