(a) RUS makes loans only if, in the judgment of the Administrator, the security therefor is reasonably adequate and the loan will be repaid within the time agreed. See 7 CFR 1735.18 and 7 CFR 1735.51.

(b) RUS generally requires that borrowers provide it with a first lien on all of the borrower's property. See 7 CFR 1735.46.

(c) The RUS will consider Government-imposed fees related to emergency communications (including State or local 911 fees) which are pledged to the repayment of a loan as security.

(d) In the case of loans that include the financing of telephone facilities that do not constitute self-contained operating systems or units (such as lines switched by other systems), the borrower shall, in addition to the mortgage lien on all of the borrower's telephone facilities, furnish adequate assurance, in the form of contractual or other security arrangements, that continuous and efficient telephone service will be rendered.

(e) The borrower shall provide RUS with a satisfactory Area Coverage Survey. See 7 CFR 1737.30 and 1737.31.

(f) RUS makes loans only if the borrower's entire system, including the facilities to be constructed with the proceeds of the loan, is economically feasible, as determined by RUS. In addition, RUS considers a system to be feasible only if the system, in addition to being feasible in all other respects, is year 2000 compliant or if the borrower provides RUS with a certification, satisfactory to RUS, that the system will be year 2000 compliant at a reasonable time before December 31, 1999. Year 2000 compliant means that product performance and function are not affected by dates before, during, and after the year 2000.

(g) For purposes of determining compliance with TIER requirements, unless a borrower whose existing mortgage contains TIER maintenance requirements notifies RUS in writing differently, RUS will apply the requirements described in paragraph (g) of this section to the borrower regardless of the provisions of the borrower's existing mortgage.

(h) For Loans approved after December 22, 2008, the borrower shall be required to maintain a TIER, at the end of the Forecast Period, at least equal to the projected TIER determined by the feasibility study prepared in connection with the loan, which shall be at least 1.0 and not greater than 1.5.

(i) Nothing in this section shall affect any rights of supplemental lenders under the RUS mortgage, or other creditors of the borrower, to limit a borrower's TIER requirement to a level above that established in paragraph (g) of this section.

(j) A borrower will not be required to raise its TIER as a condition for receiving a loan. Additional financial, investment, and managerial controls appear in the loan contract and mortgage required by RUS.

[54 FR 13351, Apr. 3, 1989. Redesignated at 55 FR 39395, Sept. 27, 1990, as amended at 56 FR 26597, June 10, 1991; 58 FR 66254, Dec. 20, 1993; 62 FR 46870, Sept. 5, 1997; 63 FR 45678, Aug. 27, 1998; 73 FR 65726, Nov. 5, 2008; 76 FR 56094, Sept. 13, 2011]