Finally, legislation has been introduced in Congress to impose USF support payments on broadband service providers. The Universal Broadband Act, sponsored by Congressmen Collin Peterson (D-MN) and Don Young (R-AK) and supported by a bipartisan group of eight other Representatives, will – if passed – expand the USF contribution base to include all broadband services. … 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
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
Relief in Sight?
Recent FCC actions indicate that it is in the process of addressing the critical shortfall in USF support for RLECs. The Commission has directed USAC to retain any excess cash in the high cost account at year end 2017, estimated at $129 million, and not take that amount into consideration in calculating the first quarter … Read More
Senate Hearing Explores Rural Broadband Funding
In what should be considered very good news, U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss, Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation and the Internet, recently held a hearing to determine how to expand broadband services in rural America. The hearing focused specifically on the possibility of using the Universal Service Fund to accomplish this … Read More
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