Congress eventually will have to ‘weigh in’ on universal service,...

advocate these concepts before the Federal Communications Commission in a plethora of open proceedings,” letter said. “Yet, it is our belief that it will be crucial for Congress to weigh in on these matters as well, to ensure congressional intent is being met in terms of ensuring the future of this indispensable national policy.” Bunner said “string of adverse regulatory and judicial decisions” in name of “competitive neutrality” have eroded congressional mandate on universal service. “The Senate has long played a leading role in advocating and monitoring the many aspects of this critical national policy,” he said. NTCA outlined its leading USF principles: (1) Universal service support must be sufficient and sustainable and all providers of telecom should contribute as public interest mandates. (2) Eligible telecom carriers (ETCs) receiving universal service support should receive such support based on their own costs rather than on costs of incumbent. (3) Competing ETCs should receive support only when they actually had captured customer lines, begun service to new lines or modified their rates or services. (4) States must take their public interest duties more seriously when authorizing additional ETC’s in given market.