The FCC’s recent decision that eliminates the high cost USF program’s local service rate floor rule is a real win for small RLECs all over the country. The rate floor forced proportionately higher local rates on rural customers, dampened RLEC investment in broadband, and actually ran counter to the FCC’s own core Universal Service principles. … Read More
A Farewell to . . . Rate Floors?
In a recent news release, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai announced that the Commission will vote on eliminating rate floors at its upcoming April meeting. These floors were frozen by the FCC in 2017 to help mitigate their harmful effect on RLECs and their customers. Now, the Chairman is advocating their total elimination. Calling rate floors … Read More
Effective Date Established for Key USF Reform (ACAM) Report and Order
The FCC’s December, 2018 Order offering new ACAM options to RLECs becomes effective March 21st, 2019. First, the order makes an increased funding offer to existing ACAM carriers (ACAM I) for building out additional locations at 25/3 Mbps. Second, carriers currently receiving legacy support will have the option of moving to a new ACAM model … Read More
Positive Changes Coming to Rate Floors?
In a recent letter to Arkansas lawmakers, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai had encouraging words about the future of rate floors for small LECs serving rural America. Prompted by a letter from the state’s two Republican U.S. Senators and four Republican Congressmen, Pai recognized the problems that rate floors create in the many rural and small-town … Read More
ICORE Can Assist RLECs With ALL Aspects of Recent USF Reform and BDS Orders
The FCC has recently adopted very important orders on Universal Service Reform and Business Data Services options for the nation’s smallest, most rural carriers. ICORE stands ready to help every RLEC needing assistance with any provision of either order. The just-issued USF Reform Report and Order, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, and Order on Reconsideration provide … Read More
Certain Carriers May Elect to Exit NECA’s TS Pool In Search of Lighter Touch Regulatory Framework – ICORE Can Help
The recent FCC Business Data Service (BDS) Order provides an option for A-CAM, Alaska Plan, RoR price cap affiliates and future A-CAM adopters to elect lighter touch regulation for their BDS (Special Access) services. They may move such higher speed offerings from RoR to a fully detariffed / deregulated basis, and lower speed services to … Read More
Once More, With Feeling
In a letter of response to Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai gave probably his most concise and powerful defense of the Commission’s Restoring Internet Freedom Order. First, he pointed out how bipartisan, light touch regulation from 1996 through early 2015 allowed the internet to “grow startups into global giants,” and make “America’s … Read More
Happy Thanksgiving
As we prepare for Thanksgiving with family and friends, fellowship and football, and a fond farewell to the November elections, we have much to be thankful for. In our industry, help seems to be on the way for RLECs, in a variety of proposals for sufficient, sustainable and predictable high cost support. For ISPs and … Read More
Agitate, Prevaricate, Investigate
Eerily similar to — if not so sleazy – as their tactics used late in the Supreme Court confirmation hearings of Justice Brett Kavanaugh, Senate Democrats have struck again. Many months after adoption of the FCC’s Restoring Internet Freedom Order, Senators Edward Markey (D-MA), Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Richard (ersatz Vietnam Veteran) Blumenthal (D-CT) have … Read More
The Time to Rationalize Broadband USF Support for Rate of Return Carriers is NOW
The telecommunications industry, the FCC, state regulators, Congress and a plethora of other interested parties have been discussing, offering opinions, arguing, filing and commenting on, and endlessly debating the insufficiency and unpredictability of broadband universal support for RoR carriers. For far, far too long. This uncertainty has deterred investment, negatively affected rural carriers and their … Read More
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