The America’s Broadband Connectivity (ABC) plan for Universal Service Fund...
The America’s Broadband Connectivity (ABC) plan for Universal Service Fund reform would “disenfranchise consumers -- particularly those in rural areas -- who stand to benefit from the availability of broadband technologies like satellite broadband,” said Dish Network. It and sister…
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Communications Daily is required reading for senior executives at top telecom corporations, law firms, lobbying organizations, associations and government agencies (including the FCC). Join them today!
company EchoStar recently met with an adviser to FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn (http://xrl.us/bmerve), an ex parte filing said. The agency is considering ways to reform USF, including the ABC plan. That plan “would misallocate USF support, undermine competition, and deprive rural customers of high-quality and cost-effective services offered by competitive providers,” Dish said. It pointed to the success of the Rural Utilities Service Broadband Initiative Program that partly subsidized satellite broadband service through a $58.7 million grant to EchoStar subsidiary Hughes Network Systems. Hughes saw more than 95,000 orders for the satellite broadband service from eligible customers, said Dish.