WTA’s member companies are providing 21st Century communications services to some of the most rural and hard-to-reach areas of the country. This could not be done without the federal Universal Service Fund’s High Cost Program. WTA seeks to ensure that this Fund remains a sufficient, predictable, and reliable source of support for rural networks and the Americans who depend on them.
For 20 years the FCC and the industry have been working to modernize the USF High Cost Program for the broadband world, and WTA’s advocacy has been a key part of this effort.
Alternative Connect America Model (ACAM) Implementation
Enhanced-ACAM Notice, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, and Notice of Inquiry and subsequent proceedings – adopted 7.23.23
- WTA Comments, Notice of Ex Parte, and industry letter responding to FCC Public Notice providing guidance on E-ACAM location data – filed 2024
- Industry letter on E-ACAM locations – sent February 26, 2024
- WTA comments on E-ACAM True-ups – filed February 20, 2024
- WTA Comments and Reply Comments on CAF-BLS NRPM – filed September 18 and October 2, 2023
- WCB Implementing Order and E-ACAM Offers – adopted August 30, 2023
- WTA Notice Ex Parte – filed August 28, 2023
- WTA Notice of Ex Parte – filed August 21, 2023
Modernization of ACAM/CAF-BLS
- WTA Notice of Ex Parte – filed March 2, 2023
- WTA Notice of Ex Parte – filed November 4, 2022
- WTA Notice of Ex Parte – filed September 1, 2022
- WTA Notice of Ex Parte – filed August 18, 2022
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on ACAM Broadband Coalition Petition – adopted May 19, 2022
- WTA reply comments on NPRM – filed August 1, 2022
- WTA comments on NPRM – filed July 18, 2022
Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on ACAM – adopted December 19, 2016 (adding $50 million annually to the budget for ACAM, seeking comment further expanding ACAM budget)
- WTA comments on FNPRM – filed February 13, 2017
Budget Control Mechanism
- FCC Order waiving BCM – adopted May 23, 2023
- WTA Notice of Ex Parte – filed March 2, 2023
- FCC Order waiving BCM – adopted May 9, 2022
- WTA Notice of Ex Parte – filed April 29, 2022
- FCC Order waiving BCM – adopted June 3, 2021
- WTA Notice of Ex Parte – filed June 1, 2021
- WTA Notice of Ex Parte – filed October 15, 2020
- WTA Notice of Ex Parte – filed June 1, 2020
Alaska Plan Modernization
- Alaska Plan Order, FNPRM – adopted November 4, 2024
- ATA Petition for Rulemaking – filed January 4, 2023
- WTA Comments in support of ATA Petition – filed February 23, 2023
- WTA letter in support of AK Plan – sent August 11, 2023
- Alaska Plan – adopted August 23, 2016
Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF)
Proposed RDOF “Amnesty”
- WTA comments on amnesty proposal – March 12, 2024
- WTA reply comments on amnesty proposal – April 9, 2024
- WTA opposition to Coalition of RDOF Winners – August 30, 2023
- WTA letter in opposition to Coalition of RDOF Winners – July 28, 2023
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on RDOF – adopted August 1, 2019
- WTA letter contesting LDT claims – filed May 6, 2021
- Industry letter to Congress on ETC designation – sent July 29, 2020
- WTA comments on Public Notice – filed March 27, 2020
- Public Notice on bidding procedures for RDOF – released March 2, 2020
- WTA reply comments on NPRM – filed October 21, 2019
- WTA comments on NPRM – filed September 20, 2019
Future of USF Proceeding
Notice of Inquiry on the Future of USF – adopted December 15, 2021
- FCC Report on the Future of USF – released August 15, 2022
- WTA comments on NOI – filed February 17, 2022
- WTA reply comments on NOI – filed March 17, 2022
USF High Cost Program Budget
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Capping USF – adopted May 15, 2019
- WTA reply comments on NPRM – filed August 26, 2019
- WTA comments on NPRM – filed July 29, 2019
Report, Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on USF High Cost Budget – adopted December 12, 2018 (establishing new model offer for ACAM carriers and model offer for cost-based carriers, increasing budget for cost-based carriers and increasing deployment speeds, seeking comment on competitive overlap, Tribal areas, and standalone broadband conversion)
- WTA reply comments on FNPRM – filed April 5, 2019
- WTA comments on FNPRM – filed March 8, 2019
Report, Order and Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on USF Budget – adopted March 14, 2018 (clarifying eligible expenses, mitigating effects of Budget Control Mechanism (BCM), seeking comment High Cost Program budget, new model offers, and more)
- WTA reply comments on NPRM – filed June 27, 2018
- WTA comments on NPRM – filed May 25, 2018
Report and Order, Order, Order on Reconsideration and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking – adopted March 23, 2016 (establishing voluntary model for RoR carriers, standalone broadband support, cap-ex and op-ex limits, budgetary controls, and more)
- Public Notice on second ACAM offer acceptance – released January 24, 2017
- Public Notice on initial ACAM acceptance and second ACAM offers – released December 20, 2016
- Public Notice on initial ACAM offers – released August 3, 2016
- WTA reply comments on FNPRM – filed June 13, 2016
- WTA Petition for Reconsideration of March Order – filed May 25, 2016
- WTA comments on FNPRM – filed May 12, 2016
Omnibus Order, Seventh Order on Reconsideration, and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking – adopted April 23, 2014 (establishing CAF Phase II bidding process, eliminating support in 100% competitive overlap areas, seeking comment on standalone broadband, model-based support, CBM, race-to-the-top, rate floor, Mobility Fund, and more)
- Rural Associations’ comments on USF FNPRM – filed August 8, 2014
- Rural Associations’ reply comments on USF FNPRM – filed September 8, 2014
Public Notice on Standalone Broadband – released May 16, 2013
- Rural Associations’ comments on standalone broadband – filed June 17, 2013
USF/ICC Transformation Order
Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (USF/ICC Transformation Order) – adopted October 27, 2011 (establishing a HCP budget, CAF Phase I and II, limits on funding for rate-of-return areas, Mobility Fund, RAF, and ICC reforms, as well as seeking comment on RoR Represcription, unsubsidized competitors, cap-ex and op-ex limits using regression analysis, and more)
- Order on Reconsideration – adopted December 23, 2011
- Rural Associations’ Petition for Reconsideration of Transformation Order – filed December 29, 2011
- Rural Associations’ comments on HCP portion of Transformation Order – filed January, 18, 2012
- Rural Associations’ reply comments on HCP portion of Transformation Order – filed February 17, 2012
- Rural Associations’ comments on ICC portion of Transformation Order – filed February 24, 2012
- Rural Associations’ reply comments on ICC portion of Transformation Order – filed March 30, 2012
- Second Order on Reconsideration – adopted April 24, 2012
- Regression Analysis Order – adopted April 25, 2012
- Rural Associations’ Application for Review of regression caps – filed May 25, 2012
- Third Order on Reconsideration – adopted May 31, 2012
- Fourth Order on Reconsideration – adopted July 18, 2012
- Fifth Order on Reconsideration – adopted November 13, 2012
- Public Notice on CAF RAF – released January 17, 2013
- Rural Associations’ comments on RAF – filed February 19, 2013
- Sixth Order on Reconsideration – adopted January 31, 2013
- Public Notice on Rate-of-Return Represcription – released May 16, 2013
- Rural Associations’ comments on RoR Represcription – filed July 25, 2013
Public Notice and Further Inquiry – released August 3, 2011 (seeking comment on ABC and RLEC plan)
- Rural Associations’ comments on Further Inquiry – filed August 24, 2011
- Rural Associations’ reply comments on Further Inquiry – filed September 6, 2011
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking – adopted February 8, 2011 (seeking comment on transitioning the traditional HCP to the CAF and intercarrier compensation from per-minute rates to explicit support from CAF)
- Rural Associations’ comments on near-term ICC aspects of NPRM/FNPRM – filed April 1, 2011
- Rural Associations’ reply comments on near-term ICC aspects of NPRM/FNPRM – filed April 18, 2011
- Rural Associations’ comments on HCP aspects of NPRM/FNPRM – filed April 18, 2011
- Rural Associations’ reply comments on HCP aspects of NPRM/FNPRM – filed May 23, 2011
- Industry letter on ABC Plan and RLEC plan – filed July 29, 2011
Notice of Inquiry and Notice of Proposed Rulemaking – adopted April 21, 2010 (seeking comment on use of a model and auctions for HCP distribution and methods to reduce inefficient spending in legacy HCP)
- Rural Associations’ comments on NOI/NPRM – filed July 12, 2010
- Rural Associations’ reply comments on NOI/NPRM – filed August 12, 2010
National Broadband Plan
- WTA comments on National Broadband Plan proposal – filed July 8, 2009
- WTA reply comments on National Broadband Plan proposal – filed January 27, 2010
