The FCC has much left to do to overhaul USF funding and intercarrier compensation (ICC), panelists said at an FCBA seminar Wednesday on reforms since the 2010 National Broadband Plan (NBP). High-cost USF support for generally small, rural rate-of-return carriers and Lifeline USF await major changes, they said. Overhaul of high-cost support for larger price cap carriers and E-rate support for schools and libraries are further along, but questions remain; and numerous ICC disputes continue to bubble, panelists said.

Lawmakers in both chambers are preparing a letter to the FCC to address one of NTCA’s USF priorities on stand-alone broadband, reviving a bicameral, bipartisan letter sent to the FCC last Congress. NTCA also received promises from two lawmakers Tuesday that they will take the group’s priorities to heart, with legislation if need be. Prominent topics included overhaul of the USF, call completion problems and net neutrality, a controversial and partisan item in Congress.

Lawmakers in both chambers are preparing a letter to the FCC to address one of NTCA’s USF priorities on stand-alone broadband, reviving a bicameral, bipartisan letter sent to the FCC last Congress. NTCA also received promises from two lawmakers Tuesday that they will take the group’s priorities to heart, with legislation if need be. Prominent topics included overhaul of the USF, call completion problems and net neutrality, a controversial and partisan item in Congress.

The FCC should set a timetable and move forward with USF contribution overhaul, Ad Hoc Telecommunications Users Committee counsel Andrew Brown, of Levine, Blaszak, told Nicholas Degani, an aide to Commissioner Ajit Pai, and Travis Litman, an aide to Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, in separate meetings March 31, according to an ex parte filing posted in docket 09-51 Thursday. The group represents large businesses in various industries that purchase telecommunications and IT services. The agency made significant progress in USF spending in its 2011 overhaul and temporarily stabilized the fund's size, Brown and consultant Susan Gately told the aides, according to the filing. The agency never finished the updates because it hasn’t dealt with contributions to the fund, the filling said. The fund’s contribution factor will continue to rise and December’s $1.5 billion increase in the E-rate annual spending cap (see 1412110049) threatens the stability of the fund, the ad hoc committee said. An agency federal-state joint board is charged with recommending by Tuesday whether broadband customers should pay into USF, though a footnote in the net neutrality order said the recommendation may be slightly delayed (see 1503120053).

The FCC should set a timetable and move forward with USF contribution overhaul, Ad Hoc Telecommunications Users Committee counsel Andrew Brown, of Levine, Blaszak, told Nicholas Degani, an aide to Commissioner Ajit Pai, and Travis Litman, an aide to Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, in separate meetings March 31, according to an ex parte filing posted in docket 09-51 Thursday. The group represents large businesses in various industries that purchase telecommunications and IT services. The agency made significant progress in USF spending in its 2011 overhaul and temporarily stabilized the fund's size, Brown and consultant Susan Gately told the aides, according to the filing. The agency never finished the updates because it hasn’t dealt with contributions to the fund, the filling said. The fund’s contribution factor will continue to rise and December’s $1.5 billion increase in the E-rate annual spending cap (see 1412110049) threatens the stability of the fund, the ad hoc committee said. An agency federal-state joint board is charged with recommending by Tuesday whether broadband customers should pay into USF, though a footnote in the net neutrality order said the recommendation may be slightly delayed (see 1503120053).

Industry groups are upset over an FCC policy statement creating what they call “draconian” treble damages for amounts owed to USF and other funds. CTIA, Comptel, NCTA and USTelecom filed petitions for reconsideration and a stay, saying the statement violates notice requirements and the “inflexible” triple damages violates the Communications Act. ITTA filed comments supporting the joint petitions.

Comments are due April 24, replies May 11 on The Compliance Group’s Jan. 27 petition for a declaratory ruling to clarify the exemption for systems integrators from USF contribution obligations, said an FCC Wireline Bureau public notice Tuesday. It said Compliance wants a clarification on whether the exemption applies to the resale or provision of interconnected VoIP when resold or provisioned by a systems integrator.

Comments are due April 24, replies May 11 on The Compliance Group’s Jan. 27 petition for a declaratory ruling to clarify the exemption for systems integrators from USF contribution obligations, said an FCC Wireline Bureau public notice Tuesday. It said Compliance wants a clarification on whether the exemption applies to the resale or provision of interconnected VoIP when resold or provisioned by a systems integrator.

The FCC assertion that Chairman Tom Wheeler’s draft net neutrality order would impose no taxes or fees was disputed Friday by Commissioner Ajit Pai, who claimed in a statement it “explicitly opens the door to billions of dollars in new taxes on broadband.” An economist also claimed in a Forbes op-ed that the plan would lead to at least $500 million in federal fees and potentially more in state charges. An FCC spokesman Friday stood by a Wednesday fact sheet’s assertion, telling us the Internet Tax Freedom Act (ITFA) applies to broadband, even at the state and federal level.

The FCC assertion that Chairman Tom Wheeler’s draft net neutrality order would impose no taxes or fees was disputed Friday by Commissioner Ajit Pai, who claimed in a statement it “explicitly opens the door to billions of dollars in new taxes on broadband.” An economist also claimed in a Forbes op-ed that the plan would lead to at least $500 million in federal fees and potentially more in state charges. An FCC spokesman Friday stood by a Wednesday fact sheet’s assertion, telling us the Internet Tax Freedom Act (ITFA) applies to broadband, even at the state and federal level.