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Forms and filings for telephone companies, carriers, and service resellers
The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) requires telecommunication companies to submit various reports throughout the year. This is done to ensure high quality services for customers at just and reasonable rates. PUC rules require telecommunications companies to file a number of reports in order to meet their statutory obligations. The reporting requirements vary based on the competitive status of the company, and whether or not a company provides local exchange services.
The information below will help telecommunication companies find relevant reporting requirements.
Minnesota's Telephone Assistance Plan (TAP) program provides a monthly discount to low income residential customers' landline telephone bill. Eligibility requirements are the same as the federal Lifeline program.
Reports Required
All local telephone service providers with a certificate for local service must file the Commission-prescribed TAP Reporting Form reporting surcharge revenues, expenses, and credits related to the TAP program. Instructions are contained in the reporting form.
Reports must include a copy of the Minnesota Fee Remittance Form(s) that was submitted to the Department of Public Safety's Minnesota 911 Program remitting collections for 911, TAM and TAP fees.
Purpose of Reports
TAP reports provide the Commission the ability to track revenues and expenses of the program to ensure that all local telephone service providers are paying into the TAP fund. The TAP report enables reimbursement of credits and administrative expenses. Questions on TAP: Theresa Staples 651-201-2202
The federal Lifeline program provides a monthly discount to low income residential customers’ landline or wireless telephone bill.
Lifeline Program
The federal Lifeline program provides a monthly discount on residential phone service for eligible low-income customers. In 2005, Lifeline discounts were made available to qualifying low-income consumers on pre-paid wireless service plans in addition to traditional landline service. The federal Lifeline Program also provides support to telephone companies who offer discounts to eligible low-income customers.
Reports Required
Any Eligible Telecommunications Carrier (ETC), a local service provider designated by the Commission as eligible to receive federal universal service support in accordance with United States Code, title 47, section 254, and relevant federal regulations, must file annual subscriber-based eligibility reports. All ETC's are required to conduct an annual re-certification of their entire subscriber base and submit its annual re-certification report to the Commission, the FCC and USAC by January 31 of each year.
All telecommunication providers with full or conditional authority in any given year, are required to electronically file an Annual Report regardless of the revenue amount. Annual Reports must be eFiled by May 1 each year. File the Annual Report as an Excel document only.
All telecommunications carriers, telephone companies and service resellers must file an application with the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission for a "certificate of authority" to do business in Minnesota, accompanied by a $570 filing fee. All regulated telecommunications service providers pay an annual assessment based on gross state revenues.
Applications are submitted electronically via eFiling. If you are not registered on eFiling, you must complete the eFiling registration before you can submit an Application for New Authority. There is no need to follow up with a paper copy of your application.
If your company has a reportable rural telephone call failure complaint, please complete the fillable report templates below, then file your company’s quarterly report as one pdf document using eFiling on the Commission’s home web page.
Minnesota Statute 237.132 requires a wholesale transport provider to register with the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission. “Wholesale transport provider" means any person, firm, association, or corporation that carries, delivers, routes, or transports any telecommunications service subject to the commission's jurisdiction, directly or indirectly, but is not certified in Minnesota to provide retail telecommunications service to the public.
A wholesale transport provider is required to register the company name, address, a contact name, and a telephone number available to other carriers that will be answered within normal business hours, by June 20, 2016, or prior to the wholesale transport provider's initial offering of wholesale transport service in Minnesota, whichever is later. Wholesale transport providers shall update their registration information when changes occur, but no less frequently than annually.
