Tester, Barrasso urge FCC chairman to invest more in rural telecommunications
November 05, 2013 | 06:59 PM
A bipartisan coalition of 26 senators led by Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., and Sen. John Barasso, R-Wyo., have written incoming Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler asking him to change the Universal Service Fund to encourage rural telecommunications companies to upgrade phone and internet service in rural America.
“We remain concerned the reform order is limiting the ability of small carriers to provide rural consumers with the broadband service they need to compete in today’s global economy,” Tester and Barrasso wrote.
“We urge the commission to take immediate steps to re-establish predictability, sufficiency and transparency in the USF program so that these small businesses can resume critical investments in rural broadband.”
“We remain concerned the reform order is limiting the ability of small carriers to provide rural consumers with the broadband service they need to compete in today’s global economy,” Tester and Barrasso wrote.
“We urge the commission to take immediate steps to re-establish predictability, sufficiency and transparency in the USF program so that these small businesses can resume critical investments in rural broadband.”
