All in USF
Many rate-of-return local exchange carriers having a very important decision to make in the next 45 days: move to Alternative Connect America Cost Model support or continue to receive cost-based universal service fund support. They have until June 17, 2019 to decide.
News update for April 2019.
A summary of news from March 2019.
Kansas rural communications service provider Epic Touch Co., Inc. has entered into an agreement to purchase CP-TEL Holdings, Inc., the sole direct owner of Louisiana communications service providers Campti-Pleasant Hill Telephone Co., Inc. and CP-TEL Network Services, Inc.
FCC Commissioner Michael O’Rielly has asked the Universal Service Administrative Company to provide information on the use of E-Rate funding to overbuild existing USF-supported fiber networks. Commissioner O’Rielly has asked USAC to respond to his request no later than April 1, 2019.
This article is a summary of news from February 2019.
The FCC’s Wireline Competition Bureau has announced revised offers of Alternative Connect America Cost Model (A-CAM) support and associated revised deployment obligations for the 262 carriers that have already been authorized to receive A-CAM. These carriers have until March 27, 2019, to notify the FCC whether they accept the revised amount of model-based support.
The FCC’s Wireline Competition Bureau is seeking comment on two separate petitions for designation as an eligible telecommunications carrier filed by CAF Phase II auction winners Redwire, Inc. and Viasat Carrier Services, Inc.
In comments filed in response to the FCC’s 2018 Biennial Review of Telecommunications Regulations, the American Cable Association has urged the FCC to modify its universal service fund contributions rules because they are implemented in such a manner that is unfair to smaller communications providers. Among other things, ACA wants the FCC to revise downward the VoIP contributions safe harbor so that it more reasonably approximates the actual percentage of VoIP revenues derived from interstate and international services.
