RCA Splits on Moving Forward With Short-Term USF Fix
Alaska commissioners disagreed on the future of state USF, at their teleconferenced Wednesday meeting in Anchorage. The Regulatory Commission of Alaska voted 3-2 to seek more comments on proposed rule changes for what to do in a USF shortage situation,…
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a short-term effort to stem bleeding of the fund. The RCA asked comment on a revised proposal reflecting some industry suggestions from the previous comment round, in which some telecom providers said they would prefer more comprehensive USF changes (see 1708010024). Commissioner Jan Wilson voted no, preferring comprehensive to “piecemeal” changes to the fund. Commissioner Rebecca Pauli voted against moving forward because she doesn’t see a financial crisis in the Alaska USF and she doesn’t believe the RCA should regulate telecom since the agency can’t keep up with communications technology, she said. “Things are moving too fast. … I’m just not sure what we bring to the table.” But Commissioner Bob Pickett said AUSF is of “major concern” because the contribution surcharge is rising fast and the fund is “largely unaccountable” as it runs on “automatic pilot.” He agreed the RCA may not be adding much value to telecom, but said: “Does that mean I’m going to sit here and watch a grant program go down the road, not directed by any coherent, discernible and verifiable public process? No, absolutely not.”