Industry Opposes CPUC Telecom User Fees Proposal
Several industry groups urged the California Public Utilities Commission to abandon a proposal to assess telecom user fees based on access lines. In reply comments posted Wednesday (docket 21-03-002), CTIA said access-line-based assessment has "resulted in inequitable distribution of the…
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surcharge burden, placing an undue share of the burden on wireless consumers and increasing the burden on residential and low-income users." Verizon agreed, saying the commission should instead assess the "reasonableness of the current per-line surcharge mechanism in this phase of the proceeding." The user fee, or public purpose program surcharge, is "operating effectively" as is and doesn't need further modifications, said the California Broadband & Video Association. AT&T suggested the commission "defer consideration of the modification of the user fee funding mechanism until the legislature authorizes" it to make changes.