20150313Decision Memo.pdf

DECISION MEMORANDUM
TO:COMMISSIONER KJELLANDER
COMMISSIONER REDFORD
COMMISSIONER RAPER
COMMISSION SECRETARY
LEGAL
WORKING FILE
FROM:GRACE SEAMAN
DATE:MARCH 10,2015
RE:FILER MUTUAL TELEPHONE COMPANY’S 2014 BROADBAND
EQUIPMENT TAX CREDIT APPLICATION
CASE NO.FEL-T-15-01.
BACKGROUND
In 2001,House Bill 377 was enacted authorizing income tax credit for the installation of
qualifying broadband infrastructure in Idaho.Idaho Code §63-3029B(3)(a)(ii).In particular,
Section 63-30291 allows a taxpayer to receive an investment tax credit for eligible broadband
equipment installed during a calendar year.
“Qualified broadband equipment”is defined as those network facilities capable of
transmitting signals at a rate of at least 200,000 bits per seconds (bps)to a subscriber and at least
125,000 bps from a subscriber.Idaho Code §63-30291(3)(b).If the equipment is installed by a
telecommunications carrier,it must also be “necessary to the provision of broadband services
and an integral part of a broadband network.”Idaho Code §63-30291(3)(b)(i).To be eligible
for the tax credit,the taxpayer must obtain from the Commission an Order confirming that the
installed equipment meets the statutory definition of qualified broadband equipment.Procedural
Order No.28784 and Idaho Code §63-30291(4).Once the Commission has determined the
installed equipment is eligible for the broadband equipment tax credit,an order along with the
original Application is forwarded to the Idaho Tax Commission.
THE APPLICATION
On February 4,2015,the Commission received an Application from Filer Mutual
Telephone Company (“Filer”or “Company”)seeking approval of equipment for the broadband
DECISION MEMORANDUM -1 -MARCH 10,2015
tax credit.In the Application,Filer states that it installed equipment associated with Asymmetric
Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL),High-bit-rate digital Subscriber Line (HDSL),wireless
broadband (WBB),and FTTX’services with transmission rates from 512 Kbps to I Gbps in the
Wendell,Jerome,Dietrich,Filer and Hollister exchanges.Filer asserts that approximately 99%
of its customers can be served by the broadband network.During 2014,the Company invested
approximately $3.2 million in qualifying broadband equipment.
STAFF REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATION
Staff has reviewed the list of proposed broadband equipment submitted by Filer and
believes the identified equipment qualifies for the investment tax credit pursuant to Procedural
Order No.28784 and Idaho Code §63-30291(3)(b).Staff also believes that the expenditures
identified by the Company,a telecommunications provider,were for equipment that is
“necessary for the provision of broadband services and an integral part of a broadband network.”
Staff,therefore,recommends that the Commission issue an Order confirming the equipment is
qualified broadband equipment and fonvard the approving Order along with the a copy of the
original Application to the Idaho Tax Commission.
COMMISSION DECISION
Does the Commission wish to issue an order confirming the equipment identified in Case
No.FIL-T-15-01 is qualified broadband equipment as defined in Idaho Code §63-30291(3)(b),
and forward it to the Idaho Tax Commission?
/
//Ccu /jtI4L/t4
Efrace Seaman
Udmemos/fil-t-15-Ol dcc memo
Fiber to the x (FTTX)is a generic term for any broadband network architecture,such as fiber to the node (FTTN)
and fiber to the home (FTTH),that uses optical fiber to replace all or part of the local ioop or the “last-mile”
telecommunications network.
DECISION MEMORANDUM -2-MARCH 10,2015