Alaska residents need sustained, predictable and adequate universal service support...
Alaska residents need sustained, predictable and adequate universal service support in order to enjoy telecom services that the rest of the country takes for granted, General Communications told an aide to FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel Tuesday, an ex parte filing…
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said (http://xrl.us/bnk4vc). GCI has tried to deploy rural wireless services, and expanded terrestrial middle mile networks, but it needs predictable support in order to invest private capital, it said. “The Commission must, at a minimum, preserve current funding levels for Remote Alaska and should seek to prioritize support in a way that yields infrastructure investment,” the telco said. GCI also emphasized the importance of “anchor tenants” participating in the Rural Health Care (RHC) and E-rate programs, which it said are “essential to the ability to repay the private capital and RUS loans.” It is important to maintain the primary RHC program, not just to provide needed health services in isolated parts of Alaska, but also to help support expansion of terrestrial middle mile networks that can be used to expand broadband throughout the state, GCI said.