Reply #6: 3/1 Commerce: Universal Service (Telecom) 10 AM

[TayTay]

Okay, first off, what is this about?

The Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) is an independent, not-for-profit corporation designated as the administrator of the federal Universal Service Fund by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). USAC administers Universal Service Fund programs for high cost companies serving rural areas, low-income consumers, rural health care providers, and schools and libraries. The Universal Service Fund helps provide communities across the country with affordable telecommunications services.

As the administrator of the USF, USAC is the data collection agent for required FCC forms that report telecommunications revenue for contributors to the fund. FCC rules require all telecommunications carriers providing international and interstate telecommunications services, providers of interstate telecommunications that offer interstate telecommunications for a fee on a non-common carrier basis, and payphone providers that are aggregators to contribute to the Universal Service Fund.

The four USF programs are High Cost, Low Income, Rural Health Care, and Schools and Libraries.

http://www.usac.org/default.aspx

Okay, this semi-governmental agency, under the FCC is supposed to administer a program that brings the beneifts of the internet and of broadband communications to rural and hard-to-reach areas in the US. Yeah. ahm, there are opponents to this, of course, who argue that the free markets are the means to addressing all areas of service inequity and that if we leave the free markets alone, they will self-correct and stabilize services at a low price. http://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa-310es.html

Hearing today is to figure out what is going on with this program.

Witnesses
Webcast: http://commerce.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Hearing&Hearing_ID=1819

Opening Remarks

Panel 1
Honorable Michael J. Copps
Commissioner
Federal Communications Commission

The Honorable Deborah Taylor Tate
Commissioner
Federal Communications Commission

Larry Landis
Commissioner
Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission

John Burke
Board Member
Vermont Public Service Board

Billy Jack Gregg
Director, Consumer Advocate Division,
Public Service Commission of West Virginia

Panel 2
David Crothers
Executive Vice President
North Dakota Association of Telecommunications Cooperatives

Brian Staihr
Director of Policy/Regulatory Economist
Embarq Corp.

Richard Massey
Executive Vice President, Corporate Secretary, General Counsel
Alltel Corp.

Mr. Tom Tauke
Executive Vice President
Verizon

W. Tom Simmons
Vice President of Public Policy
Midcontinent Communications