RLEC Associations Ask FCC to Tie USF Speed Requirements to Section 706 Speed Objectives

On October 26, WTA, NTCA and USTelecom sent a letter to the FCC proposing that it “tether more closely the applicable USF broadband speed objectives to the Commission’s Section 706 broadband speed objectives.” Specifically, the associations propose that the FCC, for those RLECs not electing the model-based support option being proposed, “increase the ‘reasonable request’ threshold to match the applicable…section 706 speed standard” so that, as it now stands, companies that receive a reasonable request for broadband would be required to provide 25/3 Mbps service.