To save jobs, the FCC should quickly revise its Universal Service...
To save jobs, the FCC should quickly revise its Universal Service Fund local switching support (LSS) rules, the Coalition for Equity in Switching Support said in an ex-parte letter late Friday. The coalition wants the agency to codify a…
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tentative conclusion that incumbent local carriers should get additional universal-service support under the LSS mechanism if they lose a significant number of access line customers (CD Nov 27 p1). “The companies affected by this irrational rule have been forced to lay off significant portions of their workforce, institute hiring freezes and eliminate employee positions,” the coalition said. “In light of these circumstances, continued delay in adopting the Notice’s tentative conclusions would not only be irrational, but also would lead to additional lay offs and unemployment in geographic markets that have been particularly hard hit by the economic recession.” Revised rules should apply retroactively to 2008 and 2009 reporting periods, because LSS payments for 2008 won’t be finalized until the first quarter of 2010, it said.