CTC Telecom is an eligible telecommunications carrier entitled to...
CTC Telecom is an eligible telecommunications carrier entitled to federal funds to expand its wireless network in four Idaho counties, the state utility commission said on Thursday. ETC designation positions the wireless carrier, operating as Snake River PCS, to…
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receive about $171,300 yearly from the federal Universal Service Fund. The company has ETC status in New Meadows, Council, Indian Valley, Cambridge, Garden Valley, Horseshoe Bend, Idaho City and Lowman. But commissioners denied CTC’s request to extend that to the Midvale exchange, because the company “did not demonstrate to the commission that it would serve the entire exchange,” the regulator said. CTC denied targeting low-cost areas in the exchange. “However, CTC’s decision to disaggregate the Midvale service area requires the commission to adhere to its previous rulings granting ETC status only in those areas where an entire service area is included in the carrier’s expansion plans,” the commission said. ETC status for Snake River also means its customers who meet state Health and Welfare Department guidelines will be eligible for Lifeline assistance of $13.50 a month, the commission said.