Md. PSC ruled state didn’t need its own universal service fund. ...
Md. PSC ruled state didn’t need its own universal service fund. Because of that determination, it ordered Verizon to reduce its intrastate access charges $13.6 million by lowering local switching rate and residual interconnection charges. PSC said local service…
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wasn’t being subsidized so there was no need to maintain access charges above cost. PSC (Case 8745) also ordered amendments in other tariffs to CLECs and retail customers to alter rates and rate components that had been approved to cover potential costs of any state USF. Agency ordered interexchange carriers to pass along their access savings through lower rates. It also ordered Verizon to set aside $5 million for refunds to toll customers for fees they had been paying toward state USF. Method of refund will be determined later. Verizon has until Aug. 16 to file tariff changes. It condemned access cut decision, saying any rate break for long distance customers would be short-lived. Carrier also said that, given investors’ current distaste for telecom industry, access charge cut would hamper its ability to raise network investment capital.