The Rural Cellular Association accused Verizon Wireless of attempting to...
The Rural Cellular Association accused Verizon Wireless of attempting to “leverage mobility funding” despite the carrier’s commitment to give up Universal Service Fund support following its purchase of Alltel. RCA made the charge after Verizon Wireless, in an FCC filing,…
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urged mobility fund support for rural carriers that enter into Verizon’s LTE licensing program. “Increasing the level of support used to expand Verizon’s reach, whether directly or through affiliate programs, is the opposite of their commitment,” said RCA President Steve Berry. “If Verizon is serious about expanding mobile broadband in rural areas, they should live up to the spirit of the open access provisions of the C block and focus on devices compatible with all 700 MHz spectrum.” “RCA is wrong to suggest that Verizon Wireless is not honoring its merger commitment,” said Tamara Preiss, vice president of federal regulation at Verizon Wireless. “Verizon Wireless’s voluntary commitment is limited to phasing out high-cost support from legacy USF mechanisms. That condition is expressly superseded if and when the FCC adopts new mechanisms.” Preiss said Verizon was one of several carriers represented at a recent meeting at the FCC on the mobility fund. The FCC is slated to vote on a notice of proposed rulemaking on the fund at its meeting Thursday.