On March 5, 2020, NTCA's Mike Romano spoke with Nicholas Degani, senior counsel to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. NTCA highlighted the importance of explicit alternative cost recovery mechanisms for RLECs who depend on such revenue to deliver universal service to rural areas, and asked that the Commission ensure that future reforms would not have a negative effect on reasonable cost recovery. NTCA also noted that RLECs could also face increased costs for interconnection which presents substantial risk without default interconnection rules to prevent providers from unilaterally shifting the "edges" to cut costs, putting the burden on the interconnecting carriers.
Connect America Fund, WC Docket No. 10-90; Establishing Just and Reasonable Rates for Local Exchange Carriers, WC Docket No. 07-135; Developing a Unified Intercarrier Compensation Regime, CC Docket No. 01-92; 8YY Access Charge Reform, WC Docket No. 18-156