FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Idaho Public Utilities Commission

Contact: Gene Fadness, 334-0339

RE: LIFELINE AWARENESS WEEK, SEPT 14-20, 2009

Low-income households can benefit from telephone assistance program

Local telephone service provides more than social connection. When it’s necessary to call “911” or a family member in times of emergency, local telephone service can be a lifeline.

The Idaho Public Utilities Commission is joining the state commissions across the nation and consumer groups to increase awareness of “Lifeline,” a joint federal and state program to provide local telephone service to low-income households.

The Idaho commission, along with the Federal Communications Commission and the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, has declared Sept. 14-20 “Lifeline Awareness Week.”

Lifeline helps to ensure that low-income Idahoans, including many senior citizens, have access to local dial-tone service for medical and other emergencies. The federal Universal Service Fund provides a discount of $10 per month while the state-level program – the Idaho Telephone Service Assistance Program (ITSAP) – adds another $3.50 per month per qualifying household. That $13.50 per month discount amounts to a significant reduction to residential phone bills.

About 28,000 Idaho households participated in the program during 2008. This is out of a total of 618,000 local access wirelines and 984,500 local access wireless lines.

According to figures recently released by the FCC, about 97.3 percent of Idaho households had telephone service, a penetration rate that ranks eighth in the nation. For telephone subscribers with an annual income of less than $10,000, Idaho has a penetration rate of 95.2 percent, or fourth in the nation.

“Part of the reason for Lifeline Awareness Week in Idaho is to celebrate our success in getting telephone service to the vast majority of households, including low-income households,” said Jim Kempton, president of the Idaho Public Utilities Commission. “However, we know there are Idahoans who do not have telephone service, but would if they were aware Lifeline is available,” he said.

The state portion of the Lifeline program is funded by a 6-cent per line, per month charge on residential, business and wireless phone lines. The state Department of Health and Welfare determines who qualifies for the program, while the Public Utilities Commission determines the statewide uniform monthly charge.

Lifeline assistance is now available for customers of wireless telephone carriers that have been declared eligible telecommunications carriers by the commission.

Those with questions regarding Lifeline can call the Commission at 334-0300 or 1-800-432-0369 or access the Commission Web site at: http://www.puc.idaho.gov/CONSUMER/ITSAP.PDF

You can also contact your local telephone company or your local Community Action Partnership (CAP) agency. A list of CAP agencies and contact information is available on the Commission Web site at: http://www.puc.idaho.gov/CONSUMER/counties.htm