WTA Discusses Budget Control Mechanism with FCC

On May 28, WTA staff and member company representatives met with staff for Acting Chair Rosenworcel to discuss the continued impacts of the Budget Control Mechanism on RLECs receiving CAF-BLS support through the High Cost Program. The company representatives explained the problems caused by the BCM, and WTA urged the FCC “to provide relief from the 8.59 percent BCM that is scheduled to go into effect for the July 2021 – June 2022 year. As the nation recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, it is critically important that rural telecommunications companies receiving CAF-BLS and HCLS support have the resources necessary to continue extending and upgrading their broadband networks and to continue providing broadband service to their customers at affordable rates.”