While unprecedented federal investments in broadband deployment have created new opportunities to bridge the digital divide, the federal Universal Service Fund (USF) remains critical in many rural areas both to enable network construction and to sustain those networks and the services offered atop them for the benefit of American consumers.
Seeing what has been coming, we’ve been planning well in advance and preparing for months with our member policy committees for a debate just now starting about the future of universal service. In comments recently submitted to the FCC, we noted it’s time to put the “service” back in universal service and encouraged the commission to, among other things:
- Coordinate with other federal and state agencies and recognize the unique role USF programs play distinct from grant and loan programs administered by other entities;
- Take steps to achieve and sustain universal service by aiming for service level commitments that extend beyond deployment initiatives;
- Recalibrate USF programs for a sustainable future by anticipating the needs of consumers over networks' useful lives;
- Reinvigorate the Lifeline program by providing consumers with flexibility in how they use the support as a complement to the Affordable Connectivity Program; and
- Promote the sustainability of and equity within the USF contribution system by including fixed and mobile broadband Internet access revenues in the contribution base and ultimately requiring contributions as well from large businesses that depend heavily on the availability of affordable broadband services.
In addition, we also jointly filed comments on the future of USF with the Competitive Carriers Association and USTelecom specifically regarding the constitutionality of the contribution regime. And earlier we joined more than 330 entities—including many NTCA members —representing a broad and diverse group of stakeholders in calling for rapid action to help stabilize the volatile USF contributions mechanism.
As noted in speeches and presentations at RTIME, NTCA members are a diverse group, and as the FCC’s USF proceeding and NTCA advocacy efforts proceed, we want you to be informed and to have a chance to ask questions about proposals we will be making, issues we are still tackling, and challenges we will face. I encourage you to attend our March 9 webinar, “The Future of USF” as the first of many such opportunities coming up.
Of course, if you have any questions in the meantime, please contact me directly. We're honored to work alongside you!