As you probably know, the FCC’s recent NPRM proposed an $11.49 billion cap on the total Universal Service Fund. This amount represents the sum of the authorized budgets of the four USF programs in 2018. Not surprisingly, comments on this proposal drew a goodly number of dissenting views from assorted industry sources. One group argued … Read More
FCC Creates New Fraud Division
A newly established Fraud Division, operating within the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau, will help protect USF programs from further fraudulent behavior. The Commission’s Order, released earlier this year and just recently made effective, lists just a few examples of past fraud and abuse of Universal Service programs. DataConnex, for instance, was fined $18.7 million for defrauding … Read More
Hard USF Caps and USF Principles . . . Oil and Water
The FCC’s recent proposal to impose a total cap on all USF programs is completely incompatible with its long-standing Universal Service principles. The nationwide Communications Act of 1934 stated that “ALL (emphasis added) people in the United States shall have access to rapid, efficient, nationwide communications service with adequate facilities at reasonable charges.” Thus was … Read More
No More Rate Floors
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
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
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
ICORE Files Comments on NPRM Concerning USF Support for Rate of Return Carriers
Our May 25th Comments stressed to the FCC that to meet its goals of Universal Service, support to high cost, low revenue rural areas must be consistent, predictable and fully sufficient to allow for the growth and deployment of advanced, high speed broadband services. Thus, the Commission, “must not be bound by any rigid budget … Read More
As USAC Announces Cuts in HCLS and CAF BLS Support, Pai Responds
USAC recently announced that application of the FCC’s budget control mechanism would reduce USF support for small Rate-of-Return RLECS by 15.52% over the course of the next year. “As required by the…Rate of Return Order,” they said, “USAC is required to calculate total support available to Rate of Return carriers.” Did they mention that they … Read More
A Couple of Good Things
At least two promising events occurred during our short hiatus from publishing our ICORE Blog. First, the Ninth Circuit Court granted a motion to transfer the proceeding covering multiple petitions for review of the FCC’s Restoring Internet Freedom Order to the D.C. Circuit Court. The Ninth Circuit Court, of course, is that looney leftist bench … Read More
Hats Off to the Small Company Coalition, Again
Our August 10th, 2017 blog praised the SCC for being a strong advocate on behalf of small RLECs. In late January, members of the coalition held a teleconference with FCC Chairman Pai’s Wireline Advisor to discuss a draft Order that will add $500 million in USF support for RLEC broadband deployment. (See our January 18th, … Read More
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