The following words and phrases whenever used in this chapter shall be construed as defined in this section.
ANCILLARY TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICES. Services that are associated with or incidental to the provision, use or enjoyment of telecommunications services, including but not limited to the following services:
(1) CONFERENCE BRIDGING SERVICE. An ancillary service that links two or more participants of an audio or video conference call and may include the provision of a telephone number. CONFERENCE BRIDGING SERVICE does not include the telecommunications services used to reach the conference bridge.
(2) DETAILED TELECOMMUNICATIONS BILLING SERVICE. An ancillary service of separately stating information pertaining to individual calls on a customer’s billing statement.
(3) DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE. An ancillary service of providing telephone number information, and/or address information.
(4) VERTICAL SERVICE. An ancillary service that is offered in connection with one or more telecommunications services, which offers advanced calling features that allow customers to identify callers and to manage multiple calls and call connections, including conference bridging services.
(5) VOICE MAIL SERVICE. An ancillary service that enables the customer to store, send or receive recorded messages. VOICE MAIL SERVICE does not include any vertical services that the customer may be required to have in order to utilize the voice mail service.
ANCILLARY VIDEO SERVICES. Services that are associated with or incidental to the provision or delivery of video services, including but not limited to electronic program guide services, search functions, or other interactive services or communications that are associated with or incidental to the provision, use or enjoyment of video programming.
BILLING ADDRESS. The mailing address of the service user where the service supplier submits invoices or bills for payment by the customer.
CITY. The City of Tulare.
COMMUNICATION SERVICES. Means: “telecommunication services,” “ancillary telecommunication services,” “video services” and “ancillary video services.”
MOBILE TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICE. Has the same meaning and usage as set forth in the Mobile Telecommunications Sourcing Act (4 U.S.C. § 124) and the regulations thereunder.
MONTH. A calendar month.
MUNICIPAL ORGANIZATION. An organization or association created by statute or by voluntary action, whose purpose is to facilitate the development and dissemination of uniform rulings or interpretations regarding the application of utility users taxes to communication services in the State of California.
PERSON. Without limitation, any natural individual, firm, trust, common law trust, estate, partnership of any kind, association, syndicate, club, joint stock company, joint venture, limited liability company, corporation (including foreign, domestic, and non-profit), municipal district or municipal corporation (other than the city) cooperative, receiver, trustee, guardian, or other representative appointed by order of any court.
PLACE OF PRIMARY USE. The street address representative of where the customer’s use of the communications service primarily occurs, which must be the residential street address or the primary business street address of the customer.
POST-PAID TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICE. The telecommunication service obtained by making a payment on a communication-by-communication basis either through the use of a credit card or payment mechanism such as a bank card, travel card, credit card, or debit card, or by charge made to a service number which is not associated with the origination or termination of the telecommunication service.
PREPAID TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICE. The right to access telecommunication services, which must be paid for in advance and which enables the origination of communications using an access number or authorization code, whether manually or electronically dialed, and that is sold in predetermined units or dollars of which the number declines with use in a known amount.
PRIVATE TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICE. A telecommunication service that entitles the customer to exclusive or priority use of a communications channel or group of channels between or among termination points, regardless of the manner in which such channel or channels are connected, and includes switching capacity, extension lines, stations, and any other associated services that are provided in connection with the use of such channel or channels. A communications channel is a physical or virtual path of communications over which signals are transmitted between or among customer channel termination points (i.e., the location where the customer either inputs or receives the communications).
SERVICE ADDRESS. Either:
(1) The location of the service user’s communication equipment from which the communication originates or terminates, regardless of where the communication is billed or paid; or
(2) If the location in division (1) of this definition is unknown (e.g., mobile telecommunications service or VoIP service), the
SERVICE ADDRESS means the location of the service user’s place of primary use.
(3) For prepaid telecommunication service,
SERVICE ADDRESS means the location associated with the service number.
SERVICE SUPPLIER. Any entity or person, including the city, that provides communication service to a user of such service within the city.
SERVICE USER. A person required to pay a tax imposed under the provisions of this chapter.
STATE. The State of California.
TAX ADMINISTRATOR. The Finance Director/Treasurer of the city or his or her designee.
TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES. The transmission, conveyance, or routing of voice, data, audio, video, or any other information or signals to a point, or between or among points, whatever the technology used, and includes broadband services (e.g., digital subscriber line (DSL), fiber optic, coaxial cable, and wireless broadband, including Wi-Fi, WiMAX, and Wireless MESH) to the extent federal and/or state law permits taxation of such broadband services, now or in the future. The term TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES includes such transmission, conveyance or routing in which computer processing applications are used to act on the form, code or protocol of the content for purposes of transmission, conveyance or routing without regard to whether such services are referred to as voice over internet protocol (VoIP) services or are classified by the Federal Communications Commission as enhanced or value added, and includes video and/or data services that is functionally integrated with TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICES. TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES include, but are not limited to the following services, regardless of the manner or basis on which such services are calculated or billed: ancillary telecommunication services; broadband service (to the extent federal and/or state law permits taxation of such service); mobile telecommunications service; prepaid telecommunication service; post-paid telecommunication service; private telecommunication service; paging service; 800 service (or any other toll-free numbers designated by the Federal Communications Commission); 911 service (or any other similar numbers designated by the Federal Communications Commission for services whereby subscribers who call in to pre-recorded or live service); and value-added non-voice data service.
VALUE-ADDED NON-VOICE DATA SERVICE. A service that otherwise meets the definition of telecommunications services in which computer processing applications are used to act on the form, content, code, or protocol of the information or data primarily for a purpose other than transmission, conveyance or routing.
VIDEO PROGRAMMING. Those programming services commonly provided to subscribers by a video service supplier including but not limited to basic services, premium services, audio services, video games, pay-per-view services, video on demand, origination programming, or any other similar services, regardless of the content of such video programming, or the technology used to deliver such services, and regardless of the manner or basis on which such services are calculated or billed.
VIDEO SERVICES. Any and all services related to the providing or delivering of video programming (including origination programming and programming using Internet Protocol, e.g., IP-TV and IP-Video) using one or more channels by a video service supplier, regardless of the technology used to deliver or provide such services, and regardless of the manner or basis on which such services are calculated or billed, and includes data services, telecommunication services, or interactive communication services that are functionally integrated with VIDEO SERVICES.
VIDEO SERVICE SUPPLIER. Any person, company, or service which provides or sells one or more channels of video programming, or provides or sells the capability to receive one or more channels of video programming, including any communications that are ancillary, necessary or common to the provision, use or enjoyment of the video programming, to or from a business or residential address in the city, where some fee is paid, whether directly or included in dues or rental charges for that service, whether or not public rights-of-way are utilized in the delivery of the video programming or communications. A VIDEO SERVICE SUPPLIER includes, but is not limited to, multichannel video programming distributors (as defined in 47 U.S.C. § 522(13)); open video systems (OVS) suppliers; and suppliers of cable television; master antenna television; satellite master antenna television; multichannel multipoint distribution services (MMDS); video services using internet protocol (e.g., IP-TV and IP-Video, which provide, among other things, broadcasting and video on demand); direct broadcast satellite to the extent federal law permits taxation of its video services, now or in the future; and other suppliers of video programming or communications (including two-way communications), whatever the technology.
(Ord. 07-05, passed 6-5-2007)