New broadband USF bill gets raves from industry associations

Yet another telecom bill, this time introduced by Virginia Congressman Rick Boucher and Texas Congressman Lee Terry, would narrow the need for the FCC to enter into broadband regulation by declaring "broadband to be a universal service so support for the build out of broadband lines would be explicit," a bill summary said.

The bill builds on top of a reform draft Boucher developed and seeks to clarify how the FCC can move the Universal Service Fund to broadband and "expand who pays into the fund, control the growth of the fund and modernize the fund by allowing its use for the deployment of high-speed broadband services," Terry and Boucher said.

The legislation was praised by NCTA President Kyle McSlarrow and Verizon (NYSE: VZ). A cynic would say that it also shows the results of all the lobbying money being spent in D.C.

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