cmj/csi & turn letter on usf high cost and icc

8/3/2019 CMJ/CSI & TURN letter on USF High Cost and ICC

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CommissionerCopps

FederalCommunicationsCommission

44512thStreet,S.W.

Washington,D.C.20554

CommissionerClyburn

FederalCommunicationsCommission

44512thStreet,S.W.Washington,D.C.20554

October21,2011

DearCommissionersCoppsandClyburn,

Theundersignedorganizationsencourageyoutotakeintoaccounttheuniqueandcriticalconcernsofthe

communitieswerepresent,asyoupreparetovoteontheHighCostandInterCarrierCompensationelementsofUSFonOctober27th.Collectivelyweurgeyoutoconsiderthepotentiallydevastatingimpact

USFreformcouldhaveoncustomerswholackaffordabletelephone,broadband,andmobilewireless

servicesprovidedonequitableterms.

Thoughreformisnecessary,wesubmitthechangescannotdisproportionatelyharmthemostvulnerable

serviceusers.Theseincludemembersofanumberofhistoricallyunderservedandmarginalized

populationsandregions,suchas:personsincommunitiesofcolorandnon-Englishspeakingcommunities;

residentsofruralareasandespeciallythoselivingonunderservednativelands;elderlyindividuals,aswell

asyoungpersonsandstudents;job-seekers,lowincomeearners,andpublicbenefitsrecipients;and

imprisonedindividualsandtheirfamilies.

Specificallyweaskyoutoconsiderthefollowing:

Ensurethatend-userratesarenotraised.

Despitetheindustry’spitchofitsICCchangesas“pro-consumer,”nosingleconsumeradvocacy

organizationhasexpressedsupportfortheseproposed“reforms.”Infact,thereisunitedconsumer

advocateoppositionintherecordtotheplan’sincreasesinend-userratesandsurcharges.

Ensureourcommunitiesdonotsubsidizecorporateenrichment.

Thereisnoevidenceintherecordforthetheorythattheproposedchangeswouldbebeneficialto

consumers.Accesschargesforwirelessandlongdistancecarriersarealreadybelowcostandthereisnomechanismtorequirethesecarrierstopassonsavingsfromaccesschargereductionstocustomers.We

urgetheCommissiontomakeeveryattempttoquantifythecostsandbenefitsoftheserulechanges,and

examinetheimpactsonourcommunities--includingcontinuedprovisionofbasicphoneservicetorural

areas.Further,shouldtheABCplan’sICCreformsbeadopted,itwouldunjustlyenrichandrewardVerizon

andAT&T–wirelesscarriersthatwouldreapbillionsinnetsavingsasaresultofFCC-mandatedlower

accesspaymentswhilealsoreapingbillionsmoreinhigherchargesfromvulnerableconsumers.

Ensurethatcommunitieswho‘self-provision’areeligibleforUSFfunds.

Currently,proposedUSFreformsexcludecommunity-basednetworksthathavedonethemosttobuildout



broadbandinfrastructuretoprovideessentialservicesinunderservedareas—urbanandrural.These“self-

provisioning”projectsrangefrommunicipalnetworkstoprivatesectornonprofitnetworks.Yet,theyare

noteligiblefortheproposedConnectAmericaFund.Self-provisioningcommunitieshaveinvestedtheir

socialandfinancialcapitalinbroadbandinfrastructureandservices,andplayacriticalroleinshapingthe

socioeconomicdestinyoftheircommunity.Itisessentialthatourcommunitieshaveallavailableoptionsto

buildthenetworksweneed,andtoadvocatefornetworkownershipandoperationthatprovides

competitiveoptionsandpricesthatareineveryone’sbestinterest.

Establishperformancegoalsforthereformedhighcostprogramsthatpromoteequity.

TheFCCmustincorporateexplicitgoalsandmeasuresrelatedtotheexpansionofbroadbandto

communitiesofcolorandlow-incomecommunitiesinitsfinalplanforthereformedHighCostprograms.To

holditselfaccountableforachievingtrulyuniversalbroadbandaccess,theCommissionmustinclude

measurescapturingthedegreetowhichinvestmentsincreasedeploymentofmodernnetworkstozip

codeswherepeopleofcolorpredominateaswellasdeploymentofsuchnetworkstocommunitiesinwhich

residentsarelivingatorbelowthefederalpovertyline.WealsourgetheCommissiontoimplementdata

collection,transparencyandaccountabilityrequirementsnecessarytoassesswhetherfederaldollarsarein

factclosingsuchgaps.

Ensurestateaccountabilityforequity.

TheCommissionshouldrequirestatestoinstituteaccountabilitypoliciesandpracticesthatwillenablethe

FCCandstateresidentsaliketoassesswhetherkeyreformgoalsarebeingmet.TheFCCshould,for

example,requirestatesreceivingUSFfundstoconductbaselineassessmentsofbroadbandavailability

(includingdeployedtechnologies)andtodrawupontheseassessmentsinidentifyingpriorityareasforUSF-

subsidizedbuild-out.Additionally,theCommissionshouldrequirestatestotrackactualpricesof

broadbandserviceprovidedbyuniversalservicesupportedcarriersandannuallycomparethesefiguresto

raceandincomedatacollectedaspartofthebaselineassessmentinordertoidentifyaffordability

challenges.Finally,theFCCcouldincreasetransparencyandaccountabilitybycreatingopportunitiesfor

consumers—andthosewhowouldliketobeconsumersofbroadband—toshapestatepolicyrelatedto

broadbandexpansion.ThisshouldincludethecreationofCitizenAdvisoryBoardsrequiredtosignoffonallplansforuseofuniversalservicedollars,regularconsultationofconsumersasthestatedevelopsplansand

eligibilityrequirementsandverificationofcarrierclaimsaboutavailability,speedandpricingthrough

periodicconsultationwithconsumers.

Ourcommunitiescannotaffordanyoutcomethatlimitsourabilitytoacquireaffordableanddependable

communicationsservices.Itisimperativethat“UniversalServicereform”doesnotharmthecustomersitis

supposedtobenefit.

Sincerely,

amaliadeloney BrittnySaunders ReginaCosta

GrassrootsPolicyDirector SeniorAdvocate TelecommunicationsResearchDirector

CenterforMediaJustice CenterforSocialInclusion TURN

MainStreetProject

MediaLiteracyProject

InstituteforLocalSelf-Reliance

MayFirst/PeopleLink

CenterforRuralStrategies

HighlanderResearchandEducationCenter



AccessHumboldt

MediaJusticeLeague

People’sProductionHouse

MediaAlliance

ThePartnershipofAfricanAmerican

ChurchesChicagoMediaAction

ReclaimtheMedia

ThePeople'sPressProject

EsperanzaPeaceandJusticeCenter

CaliforniaCenterforRuralPolicy

ThousandKites

InstituteofPopularEducationofSouthern

California

GenerationJustice

KUNMYouthRadio

Appalshop

CommunityMediaWorkshopMediaMobilizingProject

Arts&DemocracyProject

OhioValleyEnvironmentalCoalition

ThePeoplesChannel

DurhamCommunityMedia

RadioPocho

cmj/csi & turn letter on usf high cost and icc

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