NCTA said it generally supports a proposed universal service bill...
NCTA said it generally supports a proposed universal service bill introduced by the ranking members of the House Commerce Committee and Telecom Subcommittee. “We believe it provides a solid foundation” on which to begin discussions, said NCTA President Kyle…
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McSlarrow. The group supports an overall cap on the size of the fund, approves the bill’s proposal asking the FCC to consider alternatives to current rules on contributions, and prohibit assessments on broadband transmission or Internet access services. NCTA has “long supported basing provider contributions to the universal service fund on assignment of telephone numbers rather than the current revenue-based contribution method,” McSlarrow said. The reverse auction provision, however, includes “myriad significant details that would need to be resolved in order to ensure” the auctions promote broadband development in “truly” high-cost areas. “We believe that the focus of USF support should continue to be on the provision of voice services, with any additional supported services limited to schools, libraries and health care providers,” McSlarrow said. While government can play a role in helping to widen broadband deployment, those goals are best achieved with “tax credits or tax incentives to providers that build out in unserved areas, rather than by increasing the universal service burden on voice service providers… or by interfering with the market by providing subsidies in ‘unserved’ areas,” he said.