(1) Wireline communications providers. A wireline communications provider may seek support from the program if the provider satisfies all of the following requirements:

(a) The provider is a local exchange company as defined in WAC 480-120-021 that serves less than forty thousand access lines within the state;

(b) The provider is an incumbent local exchange carrier as defined in 47 U.S.C. Sec. 251(h) or has been designated as an incumbent local exchange carrier by the Federal Communications Commission;

(c) The provider offers basic residential and business exchange telecommunications services as set forth in WAC 480-120-021 and RCW 80.36.630;

(d) The provider's rates for residential local exchange service, plus mandatory extended area service charges, are no lower than the local urban rate floor established by the commission as the benchmark rate based on the Federal Communications Commission's most current calculation of a national local urban rate floor pursuant to 47 C.F.R. Sec. 54.318 in the year in which the provider files a petition for support; provided that, if the provider's rates exceed the benchmark, the provider may not seek support from the program for the purpose of reducing those rates towards or to the benchmark; and

(e) The provider has been designated by the commission as an eligible telecommunications carrier for purposes of receiving federal universal service support pursuant to 47 C.F.R. Part 54 Subpart D – Universal Service Support for High Cost Areas, with respect to the service areas for which the provider is seeking program support.

(2) Wireless communications providers. A wireless communications provider may seek support from the program if the provider satisfies all of the following requirements:

(a) The provider is licensed by the Federal Communications Commission to offer commercial mobile radio service within the state of Washington;

(b) The provider serves fewer than the equivalent of forty thousand access lines in Washington; and

(c) The provider has been designated by the commission as an eligible telecommunications carrier for purposes of receiving federal universal service support pursuant to 47 C.F.R. Part 54 Subpart D – Universal Service Support for High Cost Areas, with respect to the service areas for which the provider is seeking program support.

(3) In calculating access lines or equivalents under this section, the access lines or equivalents of all affiliates must be counted as a single threshold, if the lines or equivalents are located in Washington; provided that only the wireline access lines of the affiliates of a provider seeking support as a wireline carrier will count toward the single threshold for that provider, and only the wireless access line equivalents of the affiliates of a provider seeking support as a wireless carrier will count toward the single threshold for that provider.