There’s no reason for the FCC to delay approval and release of an order that would allow states to require providers of nomadic VoIP service to contribute to state universal service funds, NARUC said in an FCC filing. Some providers seek a rulemaking to further delay their “obligations” to pay -- as their competitors pay -- to support state programs, NARUC said. They have raised as an issue -- “the unlikely scenario that one or more consumers -- in theory -- might actually pay into two state programs,” it noted. Currently, at least one state requires the in-state USF revenue identification to be based on billing addresses and at least one other State requires revenue identification to be based on primary service address. However, this “unlikely scenario” provides no basis for delay or a drawn out rulemaking, NARUC said, saying there’s no evidence in the record that this circumstance has actually occurred or “even likely to occur.” The group cited Sandy Reams, managing auditor for the Kansas Corporation Commission, saying Kansas is the only state currently assessing nomadic interconnected VoIP providers for state USF purposes. So no conflict between the revenue-identification methods currently exists. Reams also noted once the FCC issues an order and Nebraska and New Mexico implement the assessment on providers of nomadic interconnected VoIP service, it will be rare for a carrier to be assessed on the same revenue by two different states. The nomadic carriers have raised “an unsupported allegation as a fact” -- that a significant quantum of customers may be subject to overlapping state assessments -- as a defense to complying with what the FCC has found to be clear Congressional intent that Vonage contribute to state programs, NARUC said. Vonage (or other nomadic carriers) are the only parties to this proceeding in a position to demonstrate if the claim is true, it said. Vonage has provided no evidence a single customer in any state is in a position to be actually harmed based on the methods suggested by the Nebraska and Kansas commissions (or any other actual State commission rule or proposed rule), NARUC said. Additionally, if it actually does happen, the states will assure the affected customer “is made whole.” Two of the states involved have already specified, in the unlikely case that such a circumstance rises, they will work together to assure the consumer is not harmed. “In the unlikely event that a double assessment actually does occur,” the states can provide a credit to a carrier that is assessed twice on the same revenue,” it said. Meanwhile, states have successfully worked together on the issue for wireless providers, and that’s strong evidence that to the extent that any double billing issue arises, it will be readily resolved by the states’ collaboration, NARUC said.
There’s no reason for the FCC to delay approval and release of an order that would allow states to require providers of nomadic VoIP service to contribute to state universal service funds, NARUC said in an FCC filing. Some providers seek a rulemaking to further delay their “obligations” to pay -- as their competitors pay -- to support state programs, NARUC said. They have raised as an issue -- “the unlikely scenario that one or more consumers -- in theory -- might actually pay into two state programs,” it noted. Currently, at least one state requires the in-state USF revenue identification to be based on billing addresses and at least one other State requires revenue identification to be based on primary service address. However, this “unlikely scenario” provides no basis for delay or a drawn out rulemaking, NARUC said, saying there’s no evidence in the record that this circumstance has actually occurred or “even likely to occur.” The group cited Sandy Reams, managing auditor for the Kansas Corporation Commission, saying Kansas is the only state currently assessing nomadic interconnected VoIP providers for state USF purposes. So no conflict between the revenue-identification methods currently exists. Reams also noted once the FCC issues an order and Nebraska and New Mexico implement the assessment on providers of nomadic interconnected VoIP service, it will be rare for a carrier to be assessed on the same revenue by two different states. The nomadic carriers have raised “an unsupported allegation as a fact” -- that a significant quantum of customers may be subject to overlapping state assessments -- as a defense to complying with what the FCC has found to be clear Congressional intent that Vonage contribute to state programs, NARUC said. Vonage (or other nomadic carriers) are the only parties to this proceeding in a position to demonstrate if the claim is true, it said. Vonage has provided no evidence a single customer in any state is in a position to be actually harmed based on the methods suggested by the Nebraska and Kansas commissions (or any other actual State commission rule or proposed rule), NARUC said. Additionally, if it actually does happen, the states will assure the affected customer “is made whole.” Two of the states involved have already specified, in the unlikely case that such a circumstance rises, they will work together to assure the consumer is not harmed. “In the unlikely event that a double assessment actually does occur,” the states can provide a credit to a carrier that is assessed twice on the same revenue,” it said. Meanwhile, states have successfully worked together on the issue for wireless providers, and that’s strong evidence that to the extent that any double billing issue arises, it will be readily resolved by the states’ collaboration, NARUC said.
The FCC Thursday put forward a list of 64 items for FCC action, along with time lines. The list includes most of what was recommended by the National Broadband Plan, released last month. The FCC had a similar list of items to work from when it implemented the 1996 Telecom Act, said a former FCC official. Eighth floor advisers were briefed on the plan Wednesday.
Proposals to overhaul the Universal Service Fund mechanism including eliminating funding for voice-only networks will involve 10 years of transforming the high-cost fund into the Connect America Fund, the FCC said Friday. That’s intended to extend broadband service and provide ongoing support in certain areas without increasing the overall USF $8 billion cap, the agency officials told reporters. The proposed change is an attempt to transition from supporting voice telephone services to using funds to deliver broadband networks, said Omnibus Broadband Initiative Executive Director Blair Levin.
Congress is watching the planned merger of Comcast and NBC Universal closely, and members are expected to weigh what it means to consumers and competitors, said Hill and industry figures. “This is one of the larger consolidations in the telecom/media space in history, and it is a matter of public interest, [and] it’s a matter of interest to those of us involved in telecommunications policy,” said House Communications Subcommittee Chairman Rick Boucher, D-Va., in an interview. Boucher also outlined his legislative priorities for the new term, including work on a spectrum inventory, Internet privacy and the Universal Service Fund.
The Telecommunications Industry Association asked the FCC to remake the Universal Service Fund into a broadband fund, in comments on National Broadband Plan Public Notice #19, on USF and intercarrier compensation issues. Five mid- sized incumbent telcos offered a proposal for revamping both. Most filers agreed that USF and ICC overhauls should be included in the plan, due to be submitted to Congress in February. Many comments built on those filed in previous comment rounds.
CTIA weighed in for the first time on Local Switching Support. The association called for comprehensive changes in the Universal Service Fund and opposed what it called a “backward-looking petition” by the Coalition for Equity in Switching Support. FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski circulated a draft notice of proposed rulemaking that tentatively concluded incumbent local exchange carriers should get additional universal service support under the LSS mechanism if they lose a significant number of access line customers (CD Oct 13 p8). But the commission asked for more data before it makes a final decision.
Draft universal service reform legislation announced Friday would cover broadband, expand the contribution base and cap high-cost support, said House Communications Subcommittee Chairman Rick Boucher D-Va., and Rep. Lee Terry, R-Neb. This is the third round of legislation the two lawmakers have worked on, and comes after months of negotiations among industry and regional regulators. “The Universal Service Fund is broken,” said Boucher and Terry. Consumers will pay more than 14 percent of long-distance revenue into the fund next year, up from 12 percent in 2009, they said. A hearing on the draft is planned for Nov. 17.
CHICAGO -- The need for a long-term and “holistic” commitment to spurring broadband is the most important lesson to be learned from international broadband comparisons, FCC broadband plan coordinator Blair Levin said at Supercomm Wednesday afternoon. “If this is just kind of a one-shot deal, five years from now it will just be like an infinite number of other things” that people talked a lot about but never accomplished, he said.
CHICAGO - Network neutrality rules could slow or “halt” progress toward a fully connected world, Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg said in a keynote speech Wednesday at Supercomm. “While this future is imminent, it is not inevitable, and the decisions we make today - as an industry and as a country - will determine whether the benefits of these transformational networks will be felt sooner or much, much later.”