NEW HEAD OF COMMUNICATIONS PANEL CONCENTRATING ON USF, BROADBAND

摘要

A universal-service revamp and broadband are priorities for the House Communications Subcommittee, Chairman Rick Boucher of Virginia said. His official agenda awaits suggestions from Commerce Chairman Henry Waxman, D-Calif., Boucher said. The committee plans an organizational meeting Wednesday afternoon. Boucher said he also wants to gather the views of subcommittee members before creating a hearing schedule and legislative wish list. But universal service probably will be on the agenda, especially as Congress looks for ways to extend broadband access to additional Americans. Boucher has worked for several years on USF legislation with Rep. Lee Terry, R- Neb. Last year their bill won praise from large and mid-sized phone companies and industry coalitions, including AT&T, USTelecom, Embarq, Qwest, TDS Telecom Services, the Coalition to Keep America Connected, the National Telecommunications Cooperative Association, the Organization for the Promotion and Advancement of Small Telecommunications Companies and the Western Telecom Alliance.nnBoucher hasn抰 reintroduced the bill, but he said some general principles are likely to remain: Expanding the contribution base and expanding coverage to broadband carriers. Some projects likely to be included in the economic stimulus package will be handled by the Appropriations and Agriculture committees instead of going through the Commerce Committee. Funding for the broadband mapping law that Congress passed last year could be included in the stimulus bill. Another broadband deployment goal would be allowing local governments to provide service in areas where private operators haven抰 invested, Boucher said. He said he supports a forbearance bill that former Commerce Chairman John Dingell of Michigan just reintroduced. It would repeal the FCC抯 揹eemed granted?rule in regulatory proceedings.