Company:

Address:

SOUTH DAKOTA PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION LIFELINEILINK UP ADVERTISINGIOUTREACH

ANNUAL REPORT JUNE 1,201 1

Red River Rural Telephone Association

51 0 Broadway - PO Box 136

Abercrombie, ND 58001

Telephone number: 701 -553-8309

Company contact: Jack Plecity

Study Area Code: 381631

LifelineILink Up AdvertisingIOutreach Activities

X Advertise in media of general distribution.* (See attached ad from Richland County News-Monitor published Oct. 26, 2010.)

X Letter to existing and new customers regarding the availability of LifelineILink Up.* (See attached bill insert distributed Feb. 201 1)

X Company's LifelineILink Up information in directory (See attached article from the directory distributed Jan. 201 1)

X Company's LifelineILink Up information available on Company website. (See www. rrt. net under "Telephone")

X Company's information posted on USAC website

X Other (describe): Lifeline posters at telephone office, social service departments

and local food pantry

* Required

Andrew hdy'J. Durn, 24 Jacklynn Kae Miller, 46 Bu~lneggeg feabred

See clear text an next page.

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service" means basic telephone service is available to all consumers. Universal service is voice grade access to the telecommunications network, including local usage, touchtone calling, single-party service, access to emergency 91 1 services, access to operator service, access to qualifying low-income consumers. All of these services are available from Red River Rural Telephone Association in these areas: Abercrombie, Colfax, Fairmount, Great Bend, Hankinson, Lidgerwood, Mooreton and Wyndmere, ND; Barnesville rural, Kent and Rollag, MN.

2010 charaes for these universal services are: Basic local residential service $14.95-$18.001month (Rates vary by exchange and EAS charges may apply)

Touchtone calling

Single-party service

Access to 91 1 service (Local government assesses a tax to pay for special equipment.)

Access to operator services

Access to directory assistance (If you call a long distance company for assistance, for local info that company may charge for its services.)

Access to long distance telephone companies $6.50/month (Flat rate prescribed by federal agency)

Low-income discounts up to $1 Olmonth

Toll-blocking No charge

Link-up and Lifeline are low-income discounts available to qualifying persons participating in certain assistance programs or based on income compared to the poverty level. State rules vary. For more information on Lifeline, call Red River Telephone at 701- 553-8309, 1-866-553-8309 or visit www.rrt.net.

#

Red River Rural Telephone Association is the recipient of FederalPnancial assistance frotn the U. S Ucpur/ment * I

: oftlgricul~ure (USDA). The USDA prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, : color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, ,familial status, parental status,

religion, sexzial orientation, genelic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or apart of an individ- a

: ual 's income is derivrdfiom any public assislcmce program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) ; t I

4 * Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication ofprogram information (Braille, large

: print, audiotape, etc,) should contact USDA 's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a com- : plaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Director, OfJice of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW Wash-

* ington, DC 20250-0703, or call (800) 787-8821 (voice) and select Option 2, or (202) 692-01 07 (TDD). USDA is : * an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender. a 4 *

. * * * . . . . . * . , . * * . , . . * . , , * * * * , * , , * . . . ~ . . . . . . ~ " . . . * . . . . a . D

Statement of Non-Discrimination v

Recycle Your Old Telephone Books

Bill lnssrt - Feb 201 1

Help conserve natural resources by recycling your old phone books. These can be dropped off at the business office in Abercrombie, ND ar at the following recycling centers:

Account Privacy Rules In Effect Red River Telephone has always considered customer account illformation private. FCC rules now dictate how that information is protected. You need:

4 Authorized contacts - Be sure anyone you authorize to access your account, including your spouse, is listed as an authorized contact. fl 4 Password - If you aren't calling from the account telephone number, a password will be requested before information is shared. J

f - 4 Security questions -These questions will be asked if the 7-- correct password isn't supplied.

Please d o not be offended if these steps are taken to Hawley, MN - Monday & Thursday 4-8 p.m. verify your identity. and Saturday 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. w* ' Contact the business office if you have any questions

about the privacy of your account. -- -

L I F E L I N E U L I N K U P Telephone Assistance Programs for Low-Income Consumers Red River Telephone offers residential telephone assistance programs, referred to as Link Up and Lifeline, to help eligible persons establish and maintain telephone service.

Barnesville, MN -Tuesday & Thursday 12-8 p.m. and Saturday 8 a.m. to noon.

/:--. Link Up can save those eligible 50% of the initial charges lo hook up primary telephone service or $30, which

' %, ever is less.

1 Lifeline applies only to primary local telephone service in your home. It lowers the monthly cost of telephone L ' La service by at least $8.25. Eligible persons receive a fonn of assistance listed below or sclf-ccrtiljl based on income.

4 Identification - A photo ID may be required when accessing the account in person.

... ~................,~~~~~~,~~..,~,.*......~...~....,,.*.,,*~~,,~~"~.',.*..~..~~~~~~...~~.........~*.~~..*...~~.~~*~~~....~.**~.~ 1 EertUiration Eor LIFELINE U LINKUP - MN H SD Residents - - ND Reddmts - ! I certify under penalty of perjury that I currently receive benefits from the following program and agree to i notify Red River Telephone immcdiatcly if I ccase to participate in thc program: i Medicaid Food Stamps Supplemental Security Income National Free School Lunch : MN Family Investment Program Federal Public Housing Assistance i Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Temporary Assistance for Needy Families i Low Income - at or below 135% of the Federal Poverty Guidlines (Proof of income is required

- contact Red River Telephone for list of accepted documents or visit www.lifelinesupport.org)

i Customer Name (1Clrrsf be snrne 11ume RS 011 lelepl~one

1 1 Signature Date (hfrtsl be snrne nunre 0.9 on Ielcplrose bill)

Return completed forms to Red River Telephone.

i j i i i i ! a i

If you participate in an assistancc program you should contact social services for the necessary Lifeline fomi.

Thc form to the left can be used to self-certify your pa,rticipation in Lifeline based on income only.

I ! '

. . *. .,-

n Dlreclory

STATEMENT OF NONDISCRIMINA~ON ~ * r a ~ ~ * ~ o ~ . ~ ~ a m a o ~ ~ e ~ ~ ~ ~ m w ~ ~ ~ m e ~ o ~

Red River Rural Telephone Assodation is the rectpient of Federal financial assistance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The USDA pro- hibits discrimination in all Its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national orlgin, age, disability, atid where applicable, sex, marital status, familial

,status, parental status, religion, sexual orlentation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or a part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.)

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communlcat~on of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of dis- crimination, write to USDA, Director, Off ice of Civll Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250-0703, or call (000) 787-8821 (voice) and select Optlon 2, or (202) 692-0107 (TDD), USDA is an equal opportunity pro- vider, employer, and lender.

TELEPHONE ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS ifel el he and Link-up are federal and state assistance programs which reduce telephone bitls for qualifled low-income customers. Lifeline offers a monthly credit up to $1 Olmonth and the Llnk-up program reduces installation charges for qualified low-income customers. You may qualify for telephone assistance if you participate In one of the following assistance programs:

Supplemental Security Income Medicaid Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Food Stamps Temporary Assistance for Needy Families National Free School Lunch

or you may qualify if your household income is below 135% of the Federal I Poverty Guidelines. I Methods for qualifying and applying vary by state. For more information: call Red i River Rural Telephone Association or your county social services office or yisit www.lifelinesupport.org. d

ACCOUNT PRIVACY 1 INFORMATION (CPNI) '

. ~ a * * * . . . . * ~ * . m . ~ * * * * * * m * * ~ * . - ~ . * * a

Red River Telephone has always considered customer account information pri- I vate. FCC rules now dictate how that information is protected. You need: * Authorized contacts - Be sure anyone you authorize to access your account, including your spouse, is listed as an additional contact, * Password - If you aren't calling from the account telephone number, a pass- word will be requested before information Is shared. Y

* Securlty questions - These questions will be asked if the correct password isn't supplied. * Identification - A photo ID may be required when accessing the account in; person.

I

Contact the business office if you have any questions about the privacy of your account.

-

a Med&id-- FoodStamps Supplemental Securig Income (Not Social Security)

a Federal Public Housing Assistance a Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families National Free School Llcnch Program

or ifyour household income is below 135% of the Federal Proverty Guidelines.

This "universal service" support includes: Lifeline assistance that provides discounts for basic monthly local telephone service Link Up that reduces the cost of initiating new telephone service

For more information or to find out if you are eligible, contact Red River Telephone at 701-553-8309 or call your county social service office.

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