Commission denies telecom company’s application seeking approval to have equipment designated as qualified broadband equipment.

BOISE, Idaho – The Idaho Public Utilities Commission has denied an application from CenturyLink requesting that equipment it installed in 2022 be designated as qualified broadband equipment.

Idaho code allows a taxpayer to receive an income tax credit for having installed qualified broadband equipment during a calendar year. Before the taxpayer is eligible for the credit, the taxpayer is required to apply to the commission for an order confirming the equipment is qualified broadband equipment as defined in Idaho statute. The statute defines the equipment as being capable of transmitting signals at a rate of at least 200,000 bits per second to a subscriber and at least 125,000 bits per second from a subscriber.

In its application to the commission, CenturyLink said its net investment in qualifying broadband equipment in 2022 was $23,348,473. It indicated its lowest transmission rates were 500,000 bits per second and 250,000 bits per second for downloads and uploads, respectively.

The commission denied CenturyLink’s application after reviewing it and determining it did not properly describe the broadband equipment in question. The company also did not respond to audit requests from commission staff for information on the equipment that would have included the brand, model number and manufacturer.

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