State regulators are eyeing wireless best practices as a potential way to avert the need for service quality regulation, at the same time as industry is drafting voluntary guidelines, officials said. Neb. PSC Comr. Anne Boyle told us she had circulated proposed best practices at last month’s National Assn. of Regulatory Utility Comrs. (NARUC) winter meeting for review. Boyle said the issue was teed up for an upcoming NARUC meeting in Denver, with hopes that industry, FCC and the National Assn. of State Utility Consumer Advocates (NASUCA) would participate, she said. Meanwhile, the Mo. attorney general is in negotiations with Sprint PCS and Nextel on a lawsuit filed in Dec. over billing practices.
FCC is expected to act by mid-Dec. on interim changes aimed at improving way carriers make contributions to Universal Service Fund (USF). Sources said Commission had planned to act by end of Nov. but decided to delay action until Comr.-Designate Jonathan Adelstein was sworn in.
ISPs could benefit from industry proposal to revise way it collects contributions from telecom carriers for universal service fund (USF), Information Technology Assn. of America (ITAA) told FCC in comments filed late Mon. Commission had asked for comments on proposal to move to connection-based methodology, meaning carriers’ contributions would be based on end-user connections -- generally wires to homes and offices or wireless phone numbers -- rather than based on interstate revenue. While proposal involves rather technical adjustments, it has elicited strong feelings because it would require wireless and local exchange carriers to contribute more and long distance carriers less. Under current system, long distance carriers are main contributors. In both scenarios, customers ultimately pay because carriers pass costs on to them in form of fees on bills.
FCC approved proposal Tues. to explore whether and how to reform way agency assesses carrier contributions to Universal Service Fund (USF) and how carriers can recover such costs from customers. Notice of proposed rulemaking unanimously approved by Commission solicits feedback on continuing to require carriers to contribute to USF based on percentage of collected revenue or whether agency should move toward flat-fee alternative, such as per-line charge. Companies that have recovered universal service contributions from customers haven’t historically been held by FCC to particular cost recovery method, with agency instead generally requiring contributors not to shift more than “equitable” amount of contributions to any customer or group of customers. FCC said changes under examination are response to industry trends, including new entrants such as RBOCs into long distance market because contributions now are based on historical, not current, interstate revenue.