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Telecommunications Access Minnesota Fund Creation and Use The money in the Telecommunications Access Minnesota (TAM) Fund comes from a charge to all telephone and communication carriers that are capable of doing a telecommunications relay call (includes cell phones). The commission cannot charge telephone and communication carriers more than 20 cents per costumer. There are several services/programs that use money from TAM. The Public Utilities Commission can review some of these programs' budgets for "reasonableness" and change the budgets if it seems they are unreasonable. If the fund does not have enough money to cover all of the programs, than the budgets under some programs will be reduced. However, expenditures in the communication device distribution program (Telephone Equipment Distribution Program- TED) and telecommunication relay service will be fully funded (MN statutes 237.53 and 237.54). The statute also states specific uses for the fund such as: expenses in the department of commerce including salaries, public relations, etc.; purchasing communication devices from telephone companies (MN statute 237.53); paying for the wiring installation of homes of low-income people who are communication-impaired; and establishing a telecommunication relay service. MN Statute 237.52 Last Modified: 1/1/0001 Size: 0 Author: Categories: Public Utilities Commission, Tags: Telecommunications Access Minnesota (TAM), Telecommunications - Telephone Equipment Distribution Program (TED),