IP: FCC To Consider Requiring Fixed Wireless to Contribute to Universal Service Fund

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

------ Forwarded Message
From: "Robert J. Berger" <rberger () ultradevices com>
Organization: UltraDevices, Inc
Date: Tue, 19 Feb 2002 14:15:15 -0800
To: Dave Farber <farber () cis upenn edu>, Dewayne Hendricks
<dewayne () warpspeed com>
Subject: FCC To Consider Requiring Fixed Wireless to Contribute to Universal
Service Fund

The pattern seems to becoming more clear as to how much the current FCC is
doing the work of the ILECs that they can't get done (at least so far) in
Congress.

The recent ruling by the FCC that effectively dismantles some of the major
points of the Telecom Act of 1996 where ILECs will no longer have to
unbundle their broadband lastmile facilities to competitors smelled like
ILEC favoritism.

This new potential ruling would be a preemptive strike against emerging
wireless companies. They are one of the only remaining possible competitor
to ILECs and Cable. To force an emerging industry to cope with the Universal
Service compliance is like a death sentence...

-------

This from Robert D. Primosch of Wilkinson Barker Knauer, LLP on the wcalea
mailing list at yahoogroups.com:


The link below will take you to the Commission's Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking in CC Docket No. 02-33, in which the Commission requests comment
on how wireline broadband internet access services should be classified for
regulatory purposes, and what if any regulatory obligations should apply to
providers of those services.  Although this proceeding is directed primarily
at broadband internet services provided over the wireline telephone network,
the Commission also requests comment on whether non-wireline broadband
providers (including fixed wireless) should be required to contribute to the
Universal Service Fund and, if so, to what extent (see paragraphs 79-80).
Since this is a "dollars out" issue for the fixed wireless industry, we
believe that fixed wireless broadband providers need to participate in this
proceeding.  Initial comments are due 45 days from publication of the Notice
of Proposed Rulemaking in the Federal Register, which has not yet occurred -
we estimate, however, that comments will probably be due during the month of
April or perhaps early May.  In the interim, we will put this item on the
agenda for the next monthly Government Relations Committee meeting - if we
believe a separate meeting of the LEA on this issue is necessary, we will be
in touch.  Please contact us if you have any questions.


http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-02-42A1.pdf



--
Robert J. Berger
UltraDevices, Inc.
257 Castro Street, Suite 223 Mt. View CA. 94041
Email: rberger () ultradevices com http://www.ultradevices.com
Voice: 650-237-0334 Fax: 408-490-2868



------ End of Forwarded Message

> --- Begin Message ---
>
>
> From: "Primosch, Robert" <rprimosch () wbklaw com>
>
> Date: Tue, 19 Feb 2002 16:50:29 -0500
>
> The link below will take you to the Commission's Notice of Proposed
> Rulemaking in CC Docket No. 02-33, in which the Commission requests comment
> on how wireline broadband internet access services should be classified for
> regulatory purposes, and what if any regulatory obligations should apply to
> providers of those services.  Although this proceeding is directed primarily
> at broadband internet services provided over the wireline telephone network,
> the Commission also requests comment on whether non-wireline broadband
> providers (including fixed wireless) should be required to contribute to the
> Universal Service Fund and, if so, to what extent (see paragraphs 79-80).
> Since this is a "dollars out" issue for the fixed wireless industry, we
> believe that fixed wireless broadband providers need to participate in this
> proceeding.  Initial comments are due 45 days from publication of the Notice
> of Proposed Rulemaking in the Federal Register, which has not yet occurred -
> we estimate, however, that comments will probably be due during the month of
> April or perhaps early May.  In the interim, we will put this item on the
> agenda for the next monthly Government Relations Committee meeting - if we
> believe a separate meeting of the LEA on this issue is necessary, we will be
> in touch.  Please contact us if you have any questions.
>
>
> http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-02-42A1.pdf
>
>
> Robert D. Primosch, Esq.
> Wilkinson Barker Knauer, LLP
> 2300 N Street
> Suite 700
> Washington, D.C. 20037-1128
> (202) 383-3362 (p)
> (202) 783-5851 (f)
> rprimosch () wbklaw com
>
>
>
>  This electronic message transmission contains information from the law firm
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