CenturyLink Urges Utah PSC to Ignore 'Scare Tactics' on USF Revamp
Utah should persist with a state USF contribution overhaul despite AT&T and CTIA “scare tactics” meant to derail the proposed shift to a connections-based mechanism, CenturyLink said in Wednesday replies to the Public Service Commission (docket 17-R360-01). Last month, AT&T…
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and CTIA urged the commission to retain the revenue-based method used now and by all other states (see 1707050016). The PSC should use its time between now and the Jan. 1 effective date to ensure the proposed change isn't subject to legal challenge and can be implemented in a competitive and technology-neutral way, CenturyLink replied. The PSC is authorized by state law to shift to connections-based USF contribution, so the agency should focus on how to implement the change, the Utah Rural Telecom Association said. Comcast also urged the commission to retain revenue-based contribution. “If providers are required to collect the UUSF surcharge based upon access lines or connections, then the Commission should provide specific rules to ensure that every provider counts access lines and connections for their end-user business and residential customers in the same way and collects the surcharge in the same way,” the cable company replied.