Fwd: Key Members of Congress take aim at Universal Service
Ken Sutton (kensut@crlc.org)
Fri, 5 Dec 1997 09:39:08 -0500
Date: Fri, 5 Dec 1997 09:39:08 -0500
Message-Id: <v03110703b0adc30db8e8@[209.66.136.44]>
From: Ken Sutton <kensut@crlc.org>
To: Multiple recipients of list <conntech>
Subject: Fwd: Key Members of Congress take aim at Universal Service
Date: Mon, 01 Dec 1997 16:24:01 -0500 (EST)
From: JMRab@aol.com
Subject: Fwd: Key Members of Congress take aim at Universal Service
To: usf@aces.k12.ct.us
Warnings-to: usf-warning@aces.k12.ct.us
Reply-to: usf@aces.k12.ct.us
Comments: JCET - Universal Service Fund Subcommittee
The beat goes on. J
---------------------
Forwarded message:
From: Keith@cosn.org (Keith Krueger)
Sender: owner-members@cosn.org
Reply-to: Keith@cosn.org
To: members@cosn.org (CoSN Membership-only List)
Date: 97-12-01 15:02:22 EST
To: CoSN Members
From: Leslie Harris, CoSN Legislative Consultant
Several key members of Congress have expressed strong disapproval of the
FCC's universal service plan for schools and libraries ,and have asked the
Government Accounting Office for an assessment of that proposal. Both Sen Ted
Stevens (R- ALaska), Senate Appropriations Committee Chair and a key member
of the Senate Commerce Committee and Rep. Tom Bliley (R-Va.), Chair of the
House Commerce Committee as well as Sen. Conrad Burns (R- Montana), Chair of
the Senate Commerce Communications Subcommittee have raised questions about
the creation of separate corporations to run the school and library and rural
health programs and the administrative process established to run the
programs.
At the same time, a separate controversy has emerged over the
formula for charging long distance companies for their contributions to the
fund. The FCC is expected to delay contributions to the fund for thirty days
while Congress, the FCC and the industry negotiate. One key question is
whether industry costs may be passed along to the consumer and if so, how
these charges will be identified on customers' bills. The long distance
carriers are threatening to pass along all costs and to specifically identify
the schools and libraries program as the source of the charge. Congressional
leaders oppose such a move and argue consumers were never intended to pay for
universal service for schools and libraries. The dual controversies are
viewed by many inside the FCC as the most serious threat to the universal
service program and to the 1996 Telecommunications Act that has yet emerged.
Kenneth Sutton
Office Manager & Technology Coordiantor
Capitol Region Library Council
599 Matianuck Avenue
Windsor CT 06095
Voice: 860-298-5319 ext 3001
FAX: 860-298-5328