69-3-859. Interim universal access program -- services provided at discounts -- reimbursements. (1) Telecommunications carriers shall provide advanced services to eligible users at specified discounts. The amount of the discount must be reimbursed to the provider from available funds in the interim universal access account established in 69-3-861.
     (2) Except as provided in subsection (3), the advanced discount is equal to 50% of the best cost rate available to any business customer for an equivalent of one 56 kbps dedicated circuit to the nearest access point for the requested service. However, the cost to the eligible user may not exceed $100 a month.
     (3) If funds from the interim universal access account are not sufficient to fully reimburse for discounts authorized in subsection (2), the amount of the discounts to each eligible user must be reduced proportionally.
     (4) Even if best cost rates available to any business customer increase by more than 5%, the amount payable by an eligible user may not increase by more than 5% during the period from April 22, 1997, to January 1, 2000.
     (5) Subject to restrictions in federal law, if interstate universal access services are established by the federal communications commission, federal funding for universal access services must be used to reduce state funding for intrastate services.

     History: En. Sec. 24, Ch. 349, L. 1997; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 17, Sp. L. August 2002.