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INCOMPAS filed reply comments in the FCC's proceeding to modernize the Universal Service Fund High-Cost Program.
"INCOMPAS has consistently urged policymakers to first answer a basic question before expanding USF contribution obligations. Where does support remain necessary, and how much does the Fund actually require? The FCC's examination of the High-Cost Program marks a significant step toward answering that question and right-sizing the program for today's market," said Staci L. Pies, Senior Vice President of Government Relations and Policy at INCOMPAS.
"High-cost support remains essential where market economics cannot sustain affordable, reliable service at reasonably comparable rates. The Commission should preserve sufficient and predictable support for those communities while accounting for competition and other enforceable funding commitments where they exist," she added.
"Policymakers should not use an undefined category of technology companies as a shortcut around that work. Corporate labels cannot provide a workable or competitively neutral contribution framework. Many companies that could fall within that label already purchase network services and invest directly in fiber, data centers, subsea cables, cloud infrastructure and other facilities," Pies concluded. "Before policymakers debate who should pay, they must first determine what the Fund actually needs. INCOMPAS looks forward to working with the Commission to ensure the High-Cost Program is modernized in a way that reflects today's competitive marketplace."
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