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Click on the Categories of Interest to go to the Articles
NTA Fires Off Complaints re NTIA Broadband Map The NTA and some of its members complained to Connected Nation/Connect Nevada at its last board meeting that the NTIA Broadband Map erroneously depicts broadband deployment in the State of Nevada. Connected Nation (CN) is the contracted mapping contractor for Nevada broadband statistics and mapping and has received ARRA stimulus funding to show broadband infrastructure in the State. CN has been in contact with the NTIA trying to rectify the situation. CN has reported to us that the problem is "technical difficulties" and a more representative map should be forthcoming. However, the NTA has learned that the NTIA map will only be updated twice a year...errors currently reflected in the map will remain so until the next update.
Members are encouraged to contact CN for
discrepancies in your serving areas and to have CN further contact
Congress and the FCC (and the media... see
National Broadband Plan articles below)
that decisions made for broadband funding should not be decided based on
the NTIA map.
The NTA also encourages its members in contacting their national associations to lend support for their arguments in the FCC's Notice for Proposed Rulemaking regarding USF reform and the negative impacts of diverting USF funds for rural carriers to broadband use. 2Q11 contribution factor will be 14.9%, down from the 1Q11 factor of 15.5%. OPASTCO, Allies Urge FCC to Initiate Rulemaking Proceeding to Address Duplicate Lifeline/Link-Up Services OPASTCO and allies, among which included NTCA, WTA, the Independent Telephone and Telecommunications Alliance, and the United States Telecom Association, sent a letter Feb. 15 to the FCC regarding the Commission's direction to the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) to address duplicate Lifeline and Link-Up claims (411, Jan. 25). The allied groups urged that the FCC initiate a rulemaking proceeding because its rules for USAC in this matter were made without public input, and that these rules could be unduly burdensome and costly to implement. For more information, please contact Brian Ford, OPASTCO's regulatory counsel, at bjf@opastco.org or 202/659-5557.
FCC News
Regulators Want Phone Subsidies Shifted to High-Speed Internet National
Partnership OPASTCO, the National Telecommunications Cooperative Association (NTCA), the Western Telecommunications Alliance (WTA), and other allied parties sent a letter Feb. 1 to the FCC urging the Commission to reiterate the precedent that carrier customers must adhere to the payment and dispute resolution procedures in federal switched access tariffs. The rural associations and its allies contend that the circumventing of these rules and procedures usurps the FCC's authority and undermines the integrity of the telecommunications marketplace. (Source: OPASTCO 411, 2/3/11) national Broadband plan - USF Reform National Broadband Plan advocacy efforts NTA Sounds Off - National Broadband Map’s Accuracy Questioned National Media Getting it Wrong - Using the NTIA Map as Argument for Broadband - This is just one of many National Associations Reach Out for State Support
NTCA, OPASTCO, and WTA are reaching out to members through this message with a request for support and continued unity as we get ready to respond to the FCC's recently released proposals for universal service fund (USF) and intercarrier compensation (ICC) reform. The associations have been working together and with other representatives of rural service providers for several months to develop a plan for USF and ICC reform. In fact, as many of you know, we had heard and anticipated many of the FCC's concerns as identified in the NPRM in developing our framework and, with your valuable and productive input, the rural associations and many allies have already started providing guidance to the FCC on these matters. We know that this USF and ICC reform process has been difficult for carriers, and that you have been hearing from many corners for many months about different things the FCC or Congress might do. The NPRM puts a new face on these reforms, calling into question how and whether carriers will be able to recover their costs and justify future investments. At a critical time such as this, it is all the more important that those representing the rural industry band together, think strategically about balancing all relevant objectives at each step of the process, and present a unified plan to policymakers that both responds in a meaningful and very detailed way to each of the FCC's proposals and protects rural carrier and consumer interests associated with USF and ICC reform. We are far past the point of simply saying "no" to reform or only launching high-level arguments about why the FCC should not implement a given reform in the NPRM - to preserve the core elements of the cost recovery mechanisms you rely upon and to make sure they meet the needs of you and your customers as reformed, we need to be specific in our points and we need to present realistic and practical alternatives. Many of you have likely seen the framework for reform that the rural associations presented to the FCC last month, and many of you have likely been engaged in one forum or another in discussing that framework. Based upon these foundational efforts, we are in the final stages of preparing a credible and workable plan that will achieve these objectives - by responding directly and specifically to the FCC's reform priorities and helping to provide predictable, sufficient, and stable support for our members with respect to both existing and new investment consistent with applicable law. We hope that the rural associations can continue to rely upon your support and guidance - augmented by the support of others who work so hard on behalf of the rural industry - as we finalize the unified reform proposal that will address all of these important objectives. We would appreciate hearing from you with respect to any questions or ideas you have that can further this united effort to achieve reform consistent with these objectives.
Bill to Permanently Exempt USF from ADA Introduced in Senate
Sen. John D. Rockefeller IV (D-W. Va.)
recently introduced S. 297,
which would permanently exempt the Universal Service Fund (USF) from the
Anti-Deficiency Act (ADA). Congress has passed one-year exemptions for
the USF from the ADA, the latest of which expires Dec. 31.(Source OPASTCO
411, 2/15/11)
Phone Excise Tax Repeal Bill Introduced in Senate
Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.)
last week introduced S. 106,
the Telephone Excise Tax Repeal Act of 2011,
which would eliminate the federal excise tax levied on local phone calls and
other communications services. A similar tax assessed for long-distance phone
calls was eliminated in 2006 by the IRS. (Source: OPASTCO 411, 2/3/11)
Small Business Broadband Bill Reintroduced in Senate
Sens.
John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Mary Landrieu (D-La.) this week introduced
the Small Business Broadband and Emerging Information Technology Enhancement Act
of 2011,
which would facilitate access for small businesses to broadband services.
Similar legislation had been introduced in the previous session of Congress.
The bill would require the Small Business Administration (SBA) to allocate
administrative and technical resources, and permit recipients of the SBA's 7(a)
and micro-loan programs to use funds to purchase broadband services and
equipment. (Source: OPASTCO 411, 2/3/11) NTA Bill Tracking
What's New at BroadbandUSA.gov March 6-8, 2011 - NTCA Telecom Executive Forum, Phoenix, AZ. For more information click here. April 3-6, 2011 - WTA Spring Meeting, Napa, CA For more information click here. April 12-14, 2011 - NTCA IP Possibilities Conference and Expo, Kansas City, MO Seminar Series for 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010
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Nevada Telecommunications Association. All rights
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Last week, Connected Nation formally submitted all comments and concerns
that CN received from stakeholders and providers to NTIA. If you or any
Nevada providers have any further questions regarding the map, please
forward those to: Ashley Littell, Manager,
GIS Services,
