[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 47, Volume 3]
[Revised as of October 1, 2005]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 47CFR54.515]

[Page 148]
 
                       TITLE 47--TELECOMMUNICATION
 
        CHAPTER I--FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED)
 
PART 54_UNIVERSAL SERVICE--Table of Contents
 
      Subpart F_Universal Service Support for Schools and Libraries
 
Sec. 54.515  Distributing support.

    (a) A telecommunications carrier providing services eligible for 
support under this subpart to eligible schools and libraries may, at the 
election of the carrier, treat the amount eligible for support under 
this subpart as an offset against the carrier's universal service 
contribution obligation for the year in which the costs for providing 
eligible services were incurred or receive a direct reimbursement from 
the Administrator for that amount. Carriers shall elect in January of 
each year the method by which they will be reimbursed and shall remain 
subject to that method for the duration of the calendar year. Any 
support amount that is owed a carrier that fails to remit its monthly 
universal service contribution obligation, however, shall first be 
applied as an offset to that carrier's contribution obligation. Such a 
carrier shall remain subject to the offsetting method for the remainder 
of the calendar year in which it failed to remit their monthly universal 
service obligation. A carrier that continues to be in arrears on its 
universal service contribution obligations at the end of a calendar year 
shall remain subject to the offsetting method for the next calendar 
year.
    (b) If a telecommunications carrier elects to treat the amount 
eligible for support under this subpart as an offset against the 
carrier's universal service contribution obligation and the total amount 
of support owed to the carrier exceeds its universal service obligation, 
calculated on an annual basis, the carrier shall receive a direct 
reimbursement in the amount of the difference. Any such reimbursement 
due a carrier shall be submitted to that carrier no later than the end 
of the first quarter of the calendar year following the year in which 
the costs were incurred and the offset against the carrier's universal 
service obligation was applied.

[63 FR 67009, Dec. 4, 1998]