Alaska, Hawaii Senators Urge Pai to Abandon FCC's USF Budget Cap NPRM
Senate Communications Subcommittee ranking member Brian Schatz and Sen. Mazie Hirono, both D-Hawaii, and Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, both R-Alaska, urged FCC Chairman Ajit Pai Thursday to end his USF budgetary cap proposal. The FCC adopted its NPRM…
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Communications Daily is required reading for senior executives at top telecom corporations, law firms, lobbying organizations, associations and government agencies (including the FCC). Join them today!
in May proposing to institute an $11.42 billion USF cap, over objections of Democratic Commissioners Jessica Rosenworcel and Geoffrey Starks (see 1905310069). Comments opposed any cap (see 1908270053 and 1908290029). “Although we recognize the Commission’s stated goal to determine the effectiveness of each program, we believe that this proposal is contrary to Congress’ intent in the Telecommunications Act of 1996, which explicitly directs the Commission to prioritize 'specific, predictable, and sufficient' support for universal service,” the senators wrote Pai. “If the Commission goes forward” with the proposal, “increased demand in one program could lead to both programs becoming underfunded, which would pit the programs against one another.”