Oklahoma USF for Broadband May Be Illegal, Warns Verizon
Verizon resisted allowing the use of Oklahoma USF money for broadband, in comments posted Thursday at the Oklahoma Corporation Commission in docket 201800066-PUD. “Using the OUSF to support broadband would raise potential legal concerns over assessing intrastate services to fund…
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interstate information services over which the Commission has no regulatory authority,” the carrier said. “And before the Legislature even considers expanding the OUSF to fund broadband, it should wait until the FCC fully implements its [Connect America Fund] and revised Lifeline programs, as well as the new Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, all of which are intended to support broadband deployment and adoption in states including Oklahoma.” A better idea would be to use appropriated state general funds for broadband, like New York and Massachusetts did, Verizon said. Increasing state Lifeline contributions from 2 cents per month per subscriber to $10 per month in areas that don’t qualify for federal enhanced support, and $1 per month per subscriber in tribal areas that do qualify, could “substantially increase the size of OUSF,” so the Oklahoma agency should first study the possible fiscal impact, Verizon said.