20170512final_order_no_33768.pdf

Office of the Secretary
Service Date
May 12,2017
BEFORE THE IDAHO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION )
OF BUDGET PREPAY,INC.DBA BUDGET )CASE NO.BPP-T-12-Oi
MOBILE TO RELINQUISH ITS )
DESIGNATION AS AN ELIGIBLE )
TELECOMMUNICATIONS CARRIER IN )ORDER NO.33768
IDAHO )
On April 18,2017,Budget Prepay,Inc.dba Budget Mobile (“Budget”or the
“Company”)filed a Notice of Relinquishment of its designation as an eligible
telecommunications carrier (ETC)in Idaho.Budget was granted a limited federal Lifeline-only
ETC status on January 23,2013.See Order No.32723.The Company now seeks to relinquish
its Lifeline-only ETC designation “because of changes in the wireless industry and proposed
modifications to the [federal]Lifeline Program.”Application at 1.Budget asserted that the
relinquishment of its ETC designation will not affect Idaho Lifeline customers because they can
be served by other ETCs within the designated service area.Id.at 3.
The Company further stated that it has fewer than 250 Lifeline customers within its
ETC designated area in Idaho and that these customers will receive text message notification by
April 19,2017,of Budget’s plan to cease Lifeline services,effective June 5,2017.Id.at 4.The
Company asserted that the notice would provide information related to other Idaho Lifeline
providers as well as customer service information.Id.at 5.Budget stated that it would not
charge affected customers an early termination fee.Id.at 4.
STAFF REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATION
Staff reviewed Budget’s Application and stated that the Company had satisfied all the
statutory requirements for relinquishment of ETC designation in Idaho.See 47 C.F.R.§
54.205(a).Staff believed that the Company’s former Lifeline subscribers will have
competitively-priced alternatives with other wireline and wireless ETC providers in its service
area.Thus,Staff recommended Commission approval of Budget’s request to relinquish its ETC
designation.
COMMISSION FINDINGS
The Commission reviewed Budget’s Application and Staffs recommendation.The
Commission approves the Company’s request to relinquish its ETC designation in Idaho.The
ORDER NO.33768 1
Commission approved the Company’initial Application for ETC designation in Idaho on
January 23,2013.See Order No,32723.The Commission finds that Budget’s decision to
relinquish its ETC designation will not adversely affect telecommunications customers in the
Company’s ETC designated area.Additionally,the Commission finds that Budget’s former
customers will continue to have access to wireless service through subscription with an alternate
ETC provider in the Company’s former service area.Therefore,the Commission approves
Budget’s Application to relinquish its ETC designation in Idaho.
ORDER
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the Application of Budget Prepay,Inc.dba Budget
Mobile to relinquish its eligible telecommunications carrier status in Idaho is approved.
THIS IS A FINAL ORDER.Any person interested in the Order may petition for
reconsideration within twenty-one (21)days of the service date of this Order with regard to any
matter decided in this Order.Within seven (7)days after any person has petitioned for
reconsideration,any other person may cross-petition for reconsideration.See Idaho Code §§61-
626 and 62-619.
ORDER NO.33768 2
DONF b Order of the Idaho Public Ltilities Commission at Boise Idaho this
day of May 2017.
4kLLtL
KRIINE RAPER,CO MISSIONER
ERIC ANDERSON,COMMISSIONER
Diane M.Hanian
Commission Secretary
():BPP-T-12-OlscRelinqish ETC
PAUL PRESIDENT
ATTEST
ORDER NO.33768 3