The National Telecommunications Cooperative Association has a fiv...
The National Telecommunications Cooperative Association has a five-point plan to revamp the universal service program that includes eliminating the so-called “identical support rule” basing wireless provider subsidies on costs incurred running wireline telcos. The NTCA told the Federal-State Joint…
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Board on Universal Service that the plan “addresses the major problems with the current universal service program while controlling the size of the fund.” Other parts of the plan outlined in a letter sent Monday to the joint board: (1) The “portability of access cost recovery support to wireless carriers” should end. Access cost recovery support is part of the traditional universal service subsidy program for rural wireline carriers. (2) A commission proceeding should decide how to replace the identical support rule with “actual cost-based support” for competitive rural carriers such as wireless providers. (3) The joint board and the FCC should open a separate “universal service redefinition proceeding” to decide whether to include broadband in the definition of universal service and how to do so. (4) In the redefinition proceeding, the joint board should recommend that the FCC consider “a small broadband [universal service] pilot grant program available to small, medium and large landline and wireless non-rate-of-return carriers.” The program should be small so the high-cost fund doesn’t “increase dramatically” before the FCC can finish looking at longer term universal service and intercarrier compensation issues.