WASHINGTON – Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski today unveiled his plan to reform the Universal Service Fund. The following quote should be attributed to Steve Pociask, president of the American Consumer Institute Center for Citizen Research.
“Today’s speech by Commissioner Genachowski represents an important step forward on reforming the Universal Service Fund and ensuring the next wave of broadband deployment that will help close the gap for rural and underserved communities. Studies published just this week have shown that these universal service reforms would expand broadband while lowering fees and costs for consumers across America – which would be a win-win for consumers, small businesses, and innovators in the marketplace. My own research has estimated that USF reform would result in the creation of 90,000 new jobs across the country. I urge the FCC to adopt a plan – similar to the ABC Plan – that will better target consumers, redirect high-cost support from outdated copper-based networks to state-of-the-art broadband networks, end hidden consumer fees and better meet the changing demands of consumers.”
About ACI
The American Consumer Institute Center for Citizen Research is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational and research institute founded on the belief that consumers’ interests are not satisfactorily represented by the wide variety of advocacy and consumer organizations that often represent small subsets of consumers and special interests; ignore distant, collateral and unintended consequences of importance to consumers; and too often mirror advocates’ political views rather than an empirical analysis of consumers’ economic welfare.
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