CTIA, Charter Warn Nebraska PSC as It Revamps State USF
Cable and wireless companies cautioned the Nebraska Public Service Commission to tread carefully as it implements connections-based contribution to state USF. CTIA earlier sued the PSC in the Nebraska Court of Appeals over its decision to move to a connection-based…
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USF contribution at an unspecified date, with CTIA’s brief due to the court Feb. 20 (see 1801170030). In Wednesday comments in docket NUSF-111 on rate design, CTIA said it’s concerned the PSC can implement an equitable, nondiscriminatory mechanism and urged Nebraska first write a strategic plan for USF before deciding the structure. Charter urged the PSC to step gradually and cautiously because possible problems with a connections-based mechanism “are still largely unknown,” saying that “the transition the Commission contemplates appears to conflict with federal law respecting the state's authority to assess VoIP and other Internet-protocol enabled services on anything other than a revenue basis.” CenturyLink urged the PSC to keep rate design simple and ensure surcharge calculations are transparent: “There is no need to create a complicated rate design with different surcharges for residential or business customers, wireless or wireline, or size of customer.” So large businesses aren't disproportionately burdened, cap the number of connections on which a businesses is assessed, it said. Securus said a contributions-based USF would exclude the inmate calling service company because it doesn't provide access lines or charge customers on an access-line or connection basis. The commission should exempt or provide an alternative method for companies like it. A coalition of rural LECs urged a hybrid approach to contributions. If the commission can't apply a connections-based method to a certain company due to technological or other barriers, require that provider to continue contributing on a revenue basis, they said.