Regulations Governing Universal Service of Telecommunications Enterprises Article 6

The telecommunication enterprises with significance in the fixed telecommunications network voice retail service market, by June 1 of the year prior to the fiscal year in which universal service is implemented (hereafter named the "implementation year"), submit the Annual Universal Service Implementation Plan (hereafter named the "implementation plan") based on the cabinet-level municipalities, counties and cities which are publicly designated as the implementation units by the competent authority, and apply to the competent authority for accreditation as universal service providers for uneconomic public payphone and telephone services in uneconomic areas.Apart from those with significance in the fixed telecommunications network voice retail service market of local Internet service as referred to in the preceding paragraph, other telecommunications enterprises installing fixed or mobile telecommunications networks may also submit applications in accordance with the preceding paragraph.The "Implementation Year" as stated in paragraph 1 refers to the calendar year from January 1 to December 31.The competent authority shall publicize the Implementation Plan in accordance with paragraph 1 and paragraph 2 no later than July 1 of the year prior to the implementation year. Telecommunications enterprises installing fixed or mobile telecommunications networks may once again submit improved implementation plans no later than August 1 of the same year, and apply for accreditation as a universal service provider for telephone service in uneconomic areas.The competent authority, before approving the previous implementation plan, shall compare the net universal service costs, requested subsidy amounts, and the predicted improvements in service penetration and quality as outlined in various implementation plans; and in consideration with the actual operating abilities of the applicants, the competent authority shall then choose the best implementation plan; if necessary, the competent authority must request the applicant to amend its proposed implementation plan.