USDA Secretary Vilsack Meets with FCC Chairman Genachowski about USF/ICC Reform

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On February 15th, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack met with FCC Chairman Genachowski to make recommendations to facilitate broadband build-out in rural America.  Secretary Vilsack made the following recommendations:

  1. Create a separate Connect America Fund for Rate of Return Carriers
  2. Include unused CAF Phase 1 support in Phase 2 for use by rural price-cap carriers
  3. Adjust the regression analysis to “correct the structural and data integrity concerns of rural carriers and apply the caps incrementally”
  4. Defer adoption of FNPRM items until the impact of current caps are fully implemented into rural carrier business plans
  5. Modify and expand the waiver process