WTA Seeks Reconsideration of Aspects of USF Reform Order

Today, WTA filed a Petition for Reconsideration of the FCC’s March 2016 USF Reform Report and Order, Order and Order on Reconsideration and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking.  WTA seeks reconsideration on four areas: the Commission should reconsider and strengthen its requirements for qualifications as “unsubsidized competitors” to ensure that customers in affected “competitive” areas do not suffer loss or degradation of service; the Commission should clarify and expand its rules regarding the treatment of mergers and acquisitions after the ACAM and Rate of Return paths are implemented; the Order’s build-out obligations do not consider virtually certain price increases and delays regarding fiber optic cable and construction contractors; and the Order’s benchmark and budgetary controls render it unlikely that retail broadband rates can comply with reasonably comparability ceilings.