Deciding whether to accept FCC broadband funding under Phase 1 of...
Deciding whether to accept FCC broadband funding under Phase 1 of the Connect America Fund will depend on many factors, not just on the amount of per-household support available, Verizon told an aide to Commissioner Ajit Pai on Thursday (http://xrl.us/bng3br).…
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The company was awarded $20 million to deploy broadband to unserved areas at a subsidy of $775 per location, and has until July 24 to state whether it will take the money (CD July 10 p5). Regarding frozen universal support for broadband operational expenses, carriers should be afforded maximum flexibility in using the funds if the permanent Connect America Fund is delayed, Verizon said. It offered suggestions for near-term changes to the USF contribution system, including annual modifications to the Form 499 instructions for notice and comments, resolution of issues regarding potential contributions on multi-protocol label switching-enabled service, and cleaning up the reseller exemption process. Verizon also opposed subjecting text messaging revenues to USF assessments for the first time.