WTA Welcomes Chairman Wheeler’s Reconsideration of Quantile Regression Analysis
During today’s FCC oversight hearing in the House Subcommittee on Communications and Technology FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler announced that he will be instructing the FCC’s Wireline Competition Bureau to discontinue using the quantile regression analysis as a tool used in distributing universal service fund support to rural incumbent telecommunications providers.
“We welcome Chairman Wheeler’s response to a question by Subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden today about the further use of the quantile regression analysis,” said Derrick Owens, WTA’s Vice President for Government Affairs. “We have been making the point for some time now that the QRA is stymieing investment, particularly broadband-related investment, by rural local exchange carriers.”
“We look forward to continuing to work with the Chairman and his fellow commissioners, as well as with the staff in the Wireline Competition Bureau, to find solutions that provide appropriate incentives for RLECs to invest in broadband networks. In fact, we’ve joined with other rural associations to submit an alternative to the QRA to the FCC that both incentivizes broadband buildout and is fiscally responsible, and we’re hopeful that Chairman Wheeler considers it,” said Owens.
